We Clear Up Doubts: When Will the First Xbox Game Pass Games of 2026 Be Announced

The first games for Xbox Game Pass in January already have a marked announcement date.

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With the holiday season coming to a close, one of the most frequently asked questions among gamers is when the official Xbox Game Pass announcements will return. The service usually takes a short break at the end of December, but historically, it doesn’t take long to get back into the swing of things once the new year begins.

• You might be interested in: First games for Xbox Game Pass in 2026

If we look at what happened in previous years, everything suggests that Xbox has marked the first full week of January in red to present the first additions of 2026. It’s not a random date, but a well-established tradition within the service’s strategy.

Xbox Game Pass: likely dates for the first announcement of 2026

Following the most recent precedent, announcements should arrive around January 7th or 8th, 2026, coinciding with Tuesday or Wednesday, the days Xbox usually uses to communicate service updates. That same week, we’ll find out about the first games coming to Game Pass in January, on both console and PC.

• This first block of the year doesn’t always include big releases, but it usually offers a balanced mix of well-known games, interesting additions, and the occasional surprise to reactivate the catalog after the holiday break. Plus, it marks the real beginning of the annual release calendar within the service.

With 2026 shaping up to be a particularly important year for Xbox, not just because of the projects already in the works, but also due to the upcoming 25th anniversary of the brand, everything points to Microsoft wanting to start the year with a solid and well-measured announcement.