Microsoft’s first Xbox Game Pass drop for April 2026 is the kind of lineup that changes what you play this month—whether you’re here for prestige indies, a big remaster, or a co-op shooter with serious vibes. Hades II, FBC: Firebreak, and Replaced headline a genuinely packed Wave 1 across Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud, with several day-one arrivals and a couple of “wait, that’s in Game Pass too?” additions like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
It’s also a month of trade-offs: five games are confirmed to leave on April 15, including Grand Theft Auto V—a removal that always lands like a thud, no matter how many new toys show up to soften the blow.
What’s Coming to Xbox Game Pass in April 2026 (Wave 1)
Here’s the official Wave 1 schedule Microsoft laid out, including platforms and membership tiers where specified.
Available now (as of April 7)
- Final Fantasy IV (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) — April 7
Available via Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass.
April 8
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 (Cloud, Console) — April 8
Included with Game Pass Essential (also available on Cloud/Console). - DayZ (PC) — April 8
Joins Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential, and PC Game Pass. - Endless Legend 2 (Game Preview) (PC) — April 8
Available with Game Pass Premium; also joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. - FBC: Firebreak (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) — April 8
Available with Game Pass Premium; also joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
April 9
- Planet Coaster 2 (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) — April 9
Available via Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass.
April 10
- Tiny Bookshop (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) — April 10
Available via Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass.
April 13
- Football Manager 26 (PC) — April 13
Available with Game Pass Premium; also joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. - Football Manager 26 Console (Cloud, Console, PC) — April 13
Available with Game Pass Premium; also joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
April 14 (the big day)
- Hades II (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) — April 14
Available via Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass. - Replaced (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) — April 14
Available via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. (Confirmed as a day-one Game Pass release.) - The Thaumaturge (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) — April 14
Available via Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass.
April 16
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) — April 16
Available with Game Pass Premium; also joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. - EA Sports NHL 26 (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S) — April 16
Arrives via EA Play for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers (and is also listed for PC Game Pass). Microsoft also says Ultimate members can claim an EA Play Supercharge Bundle for NHL 26 until May 16, plus a 10% discount on EA digital purchases as part of the subscription.
April 17
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Cloud, Console, PC) — April 17
Available via Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass.
April 21
- Little Rocket Lab (Cloud, Console, PC) — April 21
Available with Game Pass Premium; also joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. - Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC) — April 21
Available with Game Pass Premium; also joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. - Vampire Crawlers (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) — April 21
Available via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. (Confirmed as a day-one Game Pass release.)
April 23
- Kiln (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) — April 23
Available via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. (Confirmed as a day-one Game Pass release.)
Recent additions you might’ve missed
Microsoft also highlighted three titles that arrived between the last update and this Wave 1 announcement:
- Easy Delivery Co. — March 26
- Super Meat Boy 3D — March 31
- NBA 2K26 — April 3
The Headliners: Why This Wave Actually Matters
Game Pass lineups can sometimes feel like a grab bag—one big title, a few niche picks, and a lot of “maybe later.” April 2026 Wave 1 isn’t that. This is Microsoft putting weight on the bar: major day-one indies, a high-profile remaster, and a modern shooter juggernaut all landing within about ten days.
Hades II on Game Pass is a statement
Hades II is the marquee get, and it’s hard to overstate how much oxygen this brings to the service in April. Microsoft lists it for Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC on April 14 across Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
It’s also notable context-wise: Hades II previously launched in late 2025 with availability that included PC and Switch 2, and now it’s arriving as a major Game Pass beat. For subscribers, that’s the dream scenario—one of the most talked-about modern roguelikes showing up as part of the membership instead of as a “maybe I’ll buy it later” purchase.
Replaced finally landing day-one is huge for indie fans
Replaced has been “the one to watch” for a long time, and it’s now confirmed for April 14 on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, available day-one through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Microsoft’s own framing leans into the hook: you play as R.E.A.C.H., “an AI trapped in a human body,” digging into the secrets of Phoenix Corp in an alternate 1980s America. Even if you’ve been following this game for years, the day-one Game Pass inclusion changes the conversation from “will it deliver?” to “I’m playing it the minute it unlocks.”
FBC: Firebreak looks like Game Pass co-op bait—in the best way
FBC: Firebreak hits April 8 on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and it’s tied to Game Pass Premium (also joining Ultimate and PC Game Pass). Microsoft describes it as a cooperative first-person shooter set in a “mysterious federal agency” under siege by otherworldly forces, with Firebreak as the unit sent into the building’s strangest crises.
That pitch is basically engineered for Game Pass: co-op, high-concept setting, easy “get your friends in here” energy. If it lands, it’s the kind of title that can dominate party chats for a couple weeks—exactly the kind of engagement subscription services crave.
Oblivion Remastered is the nostalgia nuke
Dropping The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on April 16 is a power move, full stop. Microsoft says it modernizes the 2006 Game of the Year with “all-new stunning visuals and refined gameplay,” and it’s coming to Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Game Pass Premium, while also joining Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Remasters live or die by execution, but the mere presence of Oblivion in a modernized form—available as part of a subscription—means April is going to be full of “back to Cyrodiil” stories. And that’s before you even factor in how many players never touched Oblivion in the first place.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) is a smart catalog add
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare arrives April 17 on Cloud, Console, and PC across Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass. Microsoft calls out its grounded campaign, multiplayer, and Special Ops.
This is also one of those additions that plays well with the broader Game Pass audience: even people who don’t keep up with yearly shooters tend to recognize Modern Warfare (2019) as a big inflection point for the series. Dropping it into the library is an easy way to spike engagement—especially for anyone who skipped it the first time around.
The Deep Cuts (and Why They’re Not Filler)
A stacked month isn’t just about the top three names. The best Game Pass waves have texture—games that hit different moods and different player types. April’s Wave 1 has that in spades.
Vampire Crawlers and Kiln bring day-one weirdness (compliment)
Two of the most interesting day-one inclusions are:
- Vampire Crawlers (April 21) — described as a “hyper turn-based, rogue-lite card-driven blobber” from the creators of Vampire Survivors. It’s coming to Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC via Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
- Kiln (April 23) — a “pottery power-fantasy” brawler where the ceramic creations you sculpt become the bodies you bring into battle, with online arenas. It’s coming to Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC via Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
These are exactly the kinds of games that benefit from Game Pass discovery. They’re bold, specific, and a little hard to explain in a trailer pitch—perfect for a subscription where curiosity is cheap.
Strategy, management, and cozy vibes round out the month
If you’re not here for action, there’s still plenty:
- Endless Legend 2 (Game Preview) (April 8, PC) brings asymmetric factions and strategy empire-building, tied to Premium (and also Ultimate/PC Game Pass).
- Planet Coaster 2 (April 9) is the kind of time-sink that eats weekends.
- Football Manager 26 and Football Manager 26 Console (April 13) land for Premium (and also Ultimate/PC Game Pass), with Microsoft highlighting a Unity engine foundation and a reimagined interface.
- Tiny Bookshop (April 10) and Little Rocket Lab (April 21) aim squarely at the cozy crowd.
- Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato (April 21) is framed as an emotional narrative adventure.
That spread matters. It’s not just “shooters and swords.” It’s a month that can realistically satisfy multiple households on one subscription.
Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass on April 15 (Including GTA V)
New arrivals always come with exits, and Microsoft confirmed the following titles are leaving April 15:
- Ashen (Cloud, Console, PC)
- Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, Console, PC)
- Grand Theft Auto V (Cloud, Console, PC)
- My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery (Cloud, Console, PC)
- Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC)
The big one is obviously GTA V. Even when it rotates out, it’s the kind of game that anchors a library for casual play sessions, streaming chaos, and “what do we do tonight?” open-world wandering. If you’ve been meaning to finish a story run, mess around online, or just cause trouble for a weekend, the clock is now very real.
Microsoft also notes you can save up to 20% off purchases to keep leaving games.
Game Pass Essential, Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass: The Tier Story This Month
April’s Wave 1 is also a reminder that Game Pass is no longer a simple “are you subscribed?” question—tiers matter.
- Game Pass Essential gets Warhammer: Vermintide 2 (Cloud/Console) and DayZ (PC) on April 8.
- Game Pass Premium is all over this wave, including FBC: Firebreak, Endless Legend 2 (Game Preview), Football Manager 26, Oblivion Remastered, and more.
- Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass are the key tiers for the biggest day-one beats like Replaced, Vampire Crawlers, and Kiln (with Hades II also included across Ultimate/Premium/PC).
If you’re the kind of player who subscribes specifically for day-one releases, double-check which tier you’re on—because several of April’s most exciting additions are not positioned as “everyone gets it.”
What Remains Unknown
Even with a “bumper” Wave 1, there are still a few open questions that matter for planning your month:
- Wave 2 details haven’t been announced yet. Microsoft typically reveals more titles later in the month, but no additional April Wave 2 list is confirmed here.
- Pricing details for individual games aren’t part of the announcement. Game Pass availability is confirmed, but standalone purchase prices (and any special editions) aren’t detailed.
- More specifics on certain titles (like exact feature sets for remasters/updates) aren’t fully outlined. For example, Oblivion Remastered is described in broad strokes (visuals and refined gameplay), but deeper technical breakdowns haven’t been provided in this lineup post.
April 2026 is already shaping up like one of those months where Game Pass doesn’t just “add games”—it sets the agenda. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to resubscribe, or you’ve been coasting on backlog guilt, this is the wave that kicks the door in.
