Xbox Game Pass: When are the new games of January 2026 announced

The new games for Xbox Game Pass are not going to be waited for too long.

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The year has already started, and at this point, many Xbox Game Pass users are wondering when the first games that will arrive at the service in January 2026 will be revealed. Several weeks have passed since the last official announcement, and following Microsoft’s usual pattern, everything suggests that the wait is about to end.

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Historically, Xbox Game Pass announcements are usually made on Tuesdays, dividing the month into two distinct batches. With this in mind, the first wave of January games should be announced on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 (yes, Kings’ Day in Spain), a date that fits perfectly with the company’s usual calendar. Since it’s not a holiday in the United States, no delays or last-minute changes are expected.

What dates would Microsoft handle for January 2026?

If the strategy of previous months is repeated, the planning would be as follows:

• First batch of games: announcement expected on Tuesday, January 6, 2026

• Second batch of games: estimated announcement for Tuesday, January 20, 2026

This would leave two distinct blocks, covering both the first and second half of the month.

Games already confirmed for January on Xbox Game Pass

Although Microsoft has not yet made the complete official announcement, two games have already been confirmed for January 2026, both available from their release:

• MIO: Memories in Orbit – available on January 20, 2026 on Xbox Series, PC, and Cloud

• Nova Roma – available on January 22, 2026 on PC

Since they will arrive starting from the 20th, these titles would be part of the second wave of the month, which means that there is still much to discover about the games that will arrive at Game Pass during the first half of January.

On the other hand, Microsoft has already confirmed which titles will leave the service in the middle of the month, with several departures scheduled for January 15, 2026, so the next few days should bring movement in both entries and exits from the catalog.

Everything suggests that next week will be key for subscribers, with the first official Xbox Game Pass announcement of this new year.