Xbox Game Pass November 2026 Wave 1: New Games, Tiers and Departures

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Xbox Game Pass November 2026 Wave 1 brings Escape Academy 2, Warhammer Survivors and Thronefall. Here are the release dates, membership tiers and 13 games leaving on 15 November.

An escape-room sequel to tackle with a mate, a Warhammer twist on bullet-heaven chaos and two editions of Football Manager on different dates. November’s first Xbox Game Pass selection has plenty going on beyond the biggest names. The catch is that a Game Pass subscription does not automatically unlock every game in the announcement.

Microsoft’s 3 November lineup has 15 dated entries running through 17 November, including two games expanding to Premium rather than launching afresh. Essential gains eight older Xbox favourites on 15 November, the same day 13 titles leave. Before making room on your SSD, check which tier you have and where each game is available.

Xbox Game Pass November 2026 Wave 1: every date, platform and tier

The distinction matters most with Vampire Crawlers and Aphelion: their dates mark Premium access, not a second launch for Ultimate and PC subscribers. Pit of Goblin was also in our October Wave 2 report, as its 3 November arrival crossed the monthly boundary. The platform column shows where the game is offered; your membership still determines how you can play it.

Escape Academy 2 turns puzzle rooms into a whole campus

Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School arrives on 5 November and is the pick for anyone who enjoys solving a problem together rather than racing through another combat encounter. The sequel moves beyond the original’s separate escape rooms into an explorable campus, with puzzles threaded through its corridors and surrounding grounds. Local and online two-player co-op are both supported.

A bigger setting could make the Academy feel more like a place worth exploring between escapes. Puzzles can now sit outside the obvious locked-door scenarios, giving friends a reason to investigate their surroundings rather than sprint straight to the next challenge. The best moments in games like this come when both players suddenly spot different parts of the same solution.

Whether that freedom improves the pacing is a question for actual gameplay, not a claim to make from a trailer. What is confirmed is day-one access through Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Premium and Essential are not listed for this release.

The Escape Academy 2 gameplay trailer from the April ID@Xbox showcase offers a look at the new campus and its puzzles without giving away the solutions.

Warhammer Survivors and Vampire Crawlers take different routes

Warhammer Survivors, arriving on 10 November, takes the screen-filling bullet-heaven action associated with Vampire Survivors into the Warhammer universe. Auroch Digital has partnered with poncle on the officially licensed game, bringing recognisable factions, champions and weaponry to a pixel-art battlefield.

It is an obvious combination, but a recognisable licence is only part of the appeal. Good runs depend on the choices you make as weapons and abilities develop, and on whether another attempt feels different from the last. We will know more once players can put those systems through their paces. The Game Pass day-one listing is for Ultimate and PC.

Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors takes a different approach. Its dungeon crawling is turn-based, with cards and combinations replacing the original game’s flowing automatic combat. You can plan your moves or play at a frantic pace. The important subscription detail is that its 4 November entry adds Premium; it was already available in the other listed plans.

Football Manager, Thronefall and the less obvious picks

The Football Manager schedule needs a second look. Football Manager 27 joined PC Game Pass on 3 November, while Football Manager 27 Console follows on 10 November. The Xbox Wire schedule calls the latter “Football Manager 2027 Console”, but Microsoft’s UK Store uses the shorter, correct title.

The console-focused edition puts club management into a controller-friendly layout, although Xbox also lists a PC version. If you were planning to start a career on the sofa, the 10 November date is the one to remember. Both releases are listed for Ultimate and PC Game Pass, with access still depending on the device and edition.

The smaller games deserve some time too. Thronefall balances kingdom-building by day with defence by night, while Void/Breaker brings roguelite first-person shooting. Hope in the City follows a teenager investigating her parents’ disappearance through sketches and clues. Tanuki: Pon’s Summer swaps danger for BMX deliveries and festival preparations. MySims Cozy Bundle offers something gentler, and John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando brings four-player zombie action on 12 November.

Which Game Pass tier makes sense for UK subscribers?

The UK Xbox Game Pass plans currently cost £16.99 a month for Ultimate, £10.99 for Premium, £10.99 for PC Game Pass and £6.99 for Essential at standard rates. Introductory offers and renewal terms can differ, so check the price shown at checkout.

Ultimate is the strongest fit for console owners who want this wave’s day-one releases. PC Game Pass offers those PC launches without paying for Ultimate’s broader console and streaming package. Premium has plenty to sample — including Thronefall, Void/Breaker and Toxic Commando — but the announcement does not include Escape Academy 2 or Warhammer Survivors for that tier.

Essential is the cheaper option for players happy with a narrower catalogue and online multiplayer benefits. If you mainly stream games rather than download them, check device support and the monthly allowance before upgrading. Our guide to Xbox cloud-gaming hour limits explains the changes introduced for November.

Eight games join Game Pass Essential on 15 November

Eight established Xbox games reach Essential on 15 November. This is a library expansion for that tier, not eight new releases:

• Banjo Kazooie
• Banjo Tooie
• Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
• Gears of War: Judgement
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Perfect Dark
• Viva Piñata
• Viva Piñata: TIP

The Banjo games, Perfect Dark and both Viva Piñata entries give Rare fans plenty to revisit. All eight are listed for cloud and console; Halo: Spartan Assault also has PC availability. For somebody who enjoys dipping back into the Xbox back catalogue, that is a meaningful addition to the entry-level plan.

Thirteen games leave Xbox Game Pass on 15 November

The downside to the new arrivals is the approaching departure list. Microsoft names 13 games leaving on 15 November, among them 1000xResist, GoldenEye 007, Moonlighter and Wreckfest:

• 1000xResist
• Barbie Horse Trails
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
• Firefighting Simulator – The Squad
• GoldenEye 007
• Great God Grove
• Moonlighter
• Pigeon Simulator
• Police Simulator: Patrol Officers
• Relic Hunters Legend
• Total Chaos
• Winter Burrow
• Wreckfest

Every departure is listed for cloud and console, with PC also shown for all except GoldenEye 007. Simulator fans have an unusual overlap: Firefighting Simulator: Ignite comes in on 5 November, while Firefighting Simulator – The Squad leaves ten days later.

If you are halfway through a longer game, give it priority over another download. Buying a title can let you carry on once its Game Pass access ends, but check the edition and price before paying. Your saved progress is a separate matter: our Xbox cloud saves guide explains how synchronised saves work and why removing subscription access does not normally delete them.

Tech Torque Verdict

Escape Academy 2 is the standout for co-op puzzle fans, and Warhammer Survivors could be a thoroughly entertaining way to lose an evening. Thronefall adds a welcome bit of strategy between the louder releases. There is real variety here, even without a single giant blockbuster dominating the schedule.

The difference between subscriptions is harder to ignore. Ultimate and PC Game Pass take most of the day-one spotlight, Premium gets selected releases and extra access, while Essential’s new games are classics rather than fresh launches. Check your plan before promising yourself a game — and if one of the 13 departures is unfinished, 15 November is coming quickly.