May 2026 is set to be a huge month for Xbox Game Pass and its subscribers, and it may get even better. So far, 2026 hasn’t been the best year for Xbox Game Pass. Only two day-one games rank in the Top 20 highest-rated games of 2026, and both are barely sneaking into this ranking, and both are smaller releases. To this end, there hasn’t been a single killer day one Xbox Game Pass game so far, and we are almost done with the first quarter of the year. However, the standard additions — the non-day-one games — have been absolutely great. Still, the main appeal of Xbox Game Pass, and the reason Ultimate subscribers pay $30 a month, is for day-one games. Unfortunately, April 2026 doesn’t look much better in this regard, but May 2026 does.
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In May 2026, there are two highly anticipated releases coming to Xbox Game Pass at day one of their respective releases. And of course, more could be announced between now and then. The first of these two games is Forza Horizon 6, which is poised to be one of the biggest releases of 2026. The second of these two day-one Xbox Game Pass games is Subnautica 2. There are other confirmed day-one Xbox Game Pass games for the month of May, including Xbox Game Studios’ Kiln and Mixtape, but these releases aren’t as noteworthy in comparison.
Forza Horizon 6
Forza Horizon 6 needs little introduction. It’s a new Forza Horizon game from Playground Games, set in Japan. As you may know, Forza Horizon has become Xbox’s premier series in terms of critical success, which it combines with commercial success as well, something no other Xbox series has done as of late. It is set to release on May 19, and will be available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass the moment it does.
Subnautica 2
Subnautica 2 has been a long time coming, considering the first game released back in 2018 to an 87 on Metacritic and millions of copies sold. The first game was one of the breakout indie successes of the last generation, and fans have been patiently waiting for a true sequel ever since. It is worth noting, though, that when Subnautica 2 releases, on PC and Xbox Series X, it will be in early access. Meanwhile, there is no word of an exact release date in May either, just a general May window.
Forza Horizon 6 is set to cost $70 at launch, while Subnautica 2 is expected to cost somewhere between $30 and $50 based on the pricing of the first game, as pricing has not been divulged for it yet. Whatever the case, Xbox Game Pass will save its subscribers at least $100 on these two releases.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.
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Image Courtesy of MAPPA
