© Xbox Game Pass October 2025 banner image
© Sopa – Tale of the Stolen Potato gameplay screenshot
© Supermarket Simulator gameplay screenshot
© Baldur’s Gate gameplay screenshot
© Baldur’s Gate II gameplay screenshot
© The Casting of Frank Stone gameplay screenshot
© Ball x Pit gameplay screenshot
© The Grinch: Christmas Adventures gameplay screenshot
© Eternal Strands gameplay screenshot
© He Is Coming gameplay screenshot
© Ninja Gaiden II Black gameplay screenshot
© Pax Dei gameplay screenshot
© Keeper gameplay screenshot
© Evil West gameplay screenshot
© Ninja Gaiden 4 gameplay screenshot
© Commandos: Origins gameplay screenshot
© Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 gameplay screenshot
© Power Wash Simulator 2 gameplay screenshot
© Bounty Star gameplay screenshot
© Pacific Drive gameplay screenshot
© Super Fantasy Kingdom gameplay screenshot
© Halls of Torment gameplay screenshot
© The Outer Worlds 2 gameplay screenshot
Every Game New to Xbox Game Pass for October 2025
Say what you will about Microsoft’s decision to increase the pricing of Xbox Game Pass; at least they’re making sure to stack the service with plenty of incredible games this October. From day-and-date launches on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to some of the year’s best new releases making their way from the Ultimate to the standard tier, this month is jam-packed with plenty of exciting additions that appeal to a wide variety of subscribers. Obviously, the biggest new arrivals for the month are two of Microsoft’s own Xbox Game Studios titles, Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2, but the service is also getting a whole host of other games that are perfect fits for Game Pass; titles that, in most cases, might have gone unnoticed or unrecognized getting platformed for a broader audience that might gel with them.
Sopa – Tale of the Stolen Potato
- Release Date — October 7, 2025
- Developer — StudioBando
- Publisher — StudioBando
- Review Aggregate Score — N/A
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 7, 2025 (Game Pass Ultimate)
StudioBando’s Sopa – Tale of the Stolen Potato is a charming little adventure game about a boy who stumbles into a magical world a la Narnia from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe while trying to fetch a potato for his grandmother’s soup. Nods to classic literature like One Hundred Years of Solitude, and animation that the novel inspired, like Disney’s Encanto, are rife in its magical depiction of South America and the continent’s folklore and culture. As of the time of writing, Sopa only has 11 user reviews on Steam, but 100% of them are Positive.
Supermarket Simulator
- Release Date — June 19, 2025
- Developer — Nokta Games
- Publisher — Nokta Games
- Review Aggregate Score — N/A
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 8, 2025
There are a couple of new simulation titles arriving on Xbox Game Pass this month, and both of them are pretty unique as far as premise. The first is Supermarket Simulator, which, as the name implies, lets players wander around a virtual supermarket as if they were a stockperson at a local grocery. Most simulation games that center around mundane, everyday activities seem to thrive among fans of the genre on Steam, so that it’s coming to console as a Game Pass title is a nice bonus for console gamers.
Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition
- Release Date — January 16, 2013
- Developer — Beamdog
- Publisher — Beamdog
- Review Aggregate Score — 78% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 9, 2025 (Game Pass for PC)
Earlier this month on the 9th, both of the classic Baldur’s Gate games arrived on Xbox Game Pass for PC in their Enhanced Edition versions, which are arguably the best (and really, the only) way to play these titles without original discs. Not much to say about these legendary RPGs other than that they’re still just as great today as they were a quarter-century ago, and a testament to how BioWare became one of the most important developers of the 2000s.
Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition
- Release Date — November 15, 2013
- Developer — Beamdog
- Publisher — Beamdog
- Review Aggregate Score — 78% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 9, 2025 (Game Pass for PC)
On the same day that the original Baldur’s Gate made its way to Game Pass for PC, its sequel, Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn, also arrived on the service. Like its predecessor, Baldur’s Gate II is one of the all-time classic CRPGs from the genre’s heyday in the early 2000s, and its arrival on Game Pass breathes new life into the title, opening it up for new players to experience its excellent campaign for the first time.
The Casting of Frank Stone
- Release Date — September 3, 2024
- Developer — Supermassive Games
- Publisher — Behaviour Interactive
- Review Aggregate Score — 65% (Mixed or Average)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 14, 2025
Popular multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight ventured into single-player, story-driven territory with The Casting of Frank Stone, which arrived on Game Pass this month just in time for Halloween. Casting of Frank Stone is developed by Supermassive Games (the same studio behind the Dark Pictures franchise and Little Nightmares III) and is supposedly just a so-so experience, but it may be worth trying out on Game Pass if you’re a fan of horror games.
Ball x Pit
- Release Date — October 15, 2025
- Developer — Kenny Sun
- Publisher — Devolver Digital
- Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 15, 2025 (Game Pass Ultimate)
Kenny Sun’s Ball x Pit is the viral roguelike of the moment, which was certainly helped by its day 1 launch on Game Pass. A hybrid between a classic brick-breaking game (Breakout, Arkanoid, etc.) and an action roguelike, Ball x Pit is incredibly addictive and the perfect game to play in short bursts on a handheld — like, say, the new Asus ROG Xbox Ally. Heck, even on a normal display, Ball x Pit is easily one of the best roguelikes in recent memory and a perfect addition to Game Pass.
The Grinch: Christmas Adventures
- Release Date — October 13, 2023
- Developer — Casual Brothers
- Publisher — Outright Games
- Review Aggregate Score — N/A
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 15, 2025
Outright Games continues its tradition of bringing over all of its licensed games to Xbox Game Pass with this month’s addition of The Grinch: Christmas Adventures. Like most of the other Outright Games titles, The Grinch is reportedly a fun enough experience for younger gamers and a great title to play with a sibling or child, but its novelty wears off pretty fast for older players. Truthfully, though, that makes it a natural fit for a service like Game Pass.
Eternal Strands
- Release Date — January 28, 2025
- Developer — Yellow Brick Games
- Publisher — Yellow Brick Games
- Review Aggregate Score — 76% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 15, 2025
Eternal Strands, the debut game from former Dragon Age lead Mike Laidlaw’s Yellow Brick Games, makes its way to the standard subscription tier of Game Pass this month after being exclusive to Game Pass Ultimate. Anyone who’s played games like Monster Hunter or Immortals: Fenyx Rising will feel right at home with Eternal Strands and its enjoyable combat sandbox and larger-than-life monsters to track down and harvest materials from.
He Is Coming
- Release Date — July 17, 2025
- Developer — Chronocle
- Publisher — Hooded Horse
- Review Aggregate Score — N/A
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 15, 2025 (Game Pass for PC)
Another great roguelike arriving on Game Pass this month (though for PC only) is He Is Coming, which was released earlier this year. He Is Coming is a cross between an old-school CRPG (think Ultima) and a roguelike auto-battler, all wrapped up in an old-school Dungeons & Dragons aesthetic that shares a lot in common with the visuals of Loop Hero. It’s immediately rewarding and satisfying to play, and a great addition to Game Pass’ growing roster of roguelike titles.
Ninja Gaiden II Black
- Release Date — January 23, 2025
- Developer — Team Ninja
- Publisher — Koei Tecmo
- Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 15, 2025
Another game to make its way from Game Pass Ultimate to the standard tier this month is Ninja Gaiden II Black, just in time for the release of Ninja Gaiden 4. This 2025 remaster of the classic 2008 character action game uses Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 as the starting point for its gameplay balance, but its visuals have been completely overhauled using Unreal Engine 5. And it’s still as great today as it was more than 15 years ago.
Pax Dei
- Release Date — October 16, 2025
- Developer — Mainframe Industries
- Publisher — Mainframe Industries
- Review Aggregate Score — N/A
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 16, 2025
One of Game Pass’ day-and-date releases this month is the ambitious new MMORPG Pax Dei, which is curiously available on all tiers of Game Pass and not just for Ultimate subscribers. Steam reviews so far are mixed, though it’s important to remember that the game is still technically in Early Access and bound to grow and change over the coming months thanks to player feedback. Getting in on the ground floor with Game Pass is a great way to try out the game at low risk and submit some constructive criticism to the developer.
Keeper
- Release Date — October 17, 2025
- Developer — Double Fine Productions
- Publisher — Xbox Game Studios
- Review Aggregate Score — 79% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 17, 2025 (Game Pass Ultimate)
Legendary adventure game developer Double Fine Productions released its latest title, Keeper, this month, and its place as a first-party Xbox game guaranteed it to be a Day 1 launch on Game Pass Ultimate. Keeper tells the story of a sentient lighthouse and its bird ally on a journey of self-discovery, and its eye-catching visuals are immediately recognizable as the handiwork of the same studio behind the Psychonauts games. Critical reception to Keeper has been mostly positive so far, but you can try it for yourself on Game Pass for the foreseeable future.
Evil West
- Release Date — November 21, 2022
- Developer — Flying Wild Hog
- Publisher — Focus Entertainment
- Review Aggregate Score — 75% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 21, 2025
Vampire action game Evil West is an almost perfect title for the Xbox Game Pass service. While it’s not going to blow anyone away in terms of its visuals, presentation, or gameplay, Evil West is a call back to a simpler time in gaming, evoking the action games of the 6th and 7th console generations with its emphasis on pure fun and ridiculous spectacle. Evil West is a prime example of how an unassuming AA title can easily become a cult classic, and it being on Game Pass is a great excuse for players to try it if they haven’t yet.
Ninja Gaiden 4
- Release Date — October 21, 2025
- Developer — Team Ninja, PlatinumGames
- Publisher — Xbox Game Studios
- Review Aggregate Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 21, 2025 (Game Pass Ultimate)
One of this month’s biggest releases for Game Pass Ultimate is the Day 1 arrival of Ninja Gaiden 4, the first new 3D entry in the franchise in more than 10 years. Ninja Gaiden 4 continues the renaissance that the Ninja Gaiden series has been experiencing this year, and it’s one of the best games in the franchise since Ninja Gaiden Black, owing to PlatinumGames’ expertise as masters of the character action genre.
Commandos: Origins
- Release Date — April 9, 2025
- Developer — Claymore Game Studios
- Publisher — Kalypso Media
- Review Aggregate Score — 68% (Mixed or Average)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 22, 2025
Real-time tactics and stealth is a genre that, for the most part, works better on PC than it does on console, which always puts console versions of the genre’s best titles at a disadvantage. So while Commandos: Origins is a pretty great game and a worthwhile addition to the Commandos franchise, its console version leaves a lot to be desired. Thankfully, you can now try it out at little risk with its inclusion on the standard tier of Game Pass.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
- Release Date — November 19, 2024
- Developer — Asobo Studio
- Publisher — Xbox Game Studios
- Review Aggregate Score — 68% (Mixed or Average)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 22, 2025
After almost a year of being exclusive to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is now available on Game Pass Premium (the service’s standard tier). And in the time since its release, Microsoft Flight Simulator has improved a great deal, especially where its Xbox Series X/S version is concerned. If you’ve been interested in trying out this latest iteration of Microsoft’s long-running flight sim series, now is perhaps the best time.
PowerWash Simulator 2
- Release Date — October 23, 2025
- Developer — FuturLab
- Publisher — FuturLab
- Review Aggregate Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 23, 2025 (Game Pass Ultimate)
PowerWash Simulator is back! Everyone’s favorite relaxing simulation game is back with a brand-new sequel, launching on Day 1 on Game Pass just like its predecessor. Notably, the success of the original PowerWash Simulator allowed developer FuturLab to forego a publisher in favor of releasing the game itself, which could allow PowerWash Simulator 2 to get even more creative with its eventual crossovers with other IPs and gaming properties. Either way, it’ll be fun to dive back into the world of cleaning grime and bringing buildings and vehicles back to a pristine shine.
Bounty Star
- Release Date — October 23, 2025
- Developer — Dinogod
- Publisher — Annapurna Interactive
- Review Aggregate Score — 76% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 23, 2025 (Game Pass Ultimate)
Mech combat and farming sim hybrid Bounty Star (which, I suppose, you could jokingly refer to as Farmered Core) is another of Game Pass Ultimate’s Day 1 releases for the month of October, and its unique mix of genres makes it the kind of title that’s perfect for players to try out on the service before they commit to a purchase. Player reception to Bounty Star is, at least as of right now, fairly mixed, but most of the issues players have are in reference to its technical state on PC. Trying it out on Game Pass on a Series X/S may yeild a different perception.
Pacific Drive
- Release Date — February 22, 2024
- Developer — Ironwood Studios
- Publisher — Kepler Interactive
- Review Aggregate Score — 79% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 24, 2025
Just in time for Halloween, standard-tier Game Pass subscribers are getting one of the best survival games with Pacific Drive. While Pacific Drive‘s survival and crafting elements might not please hardcore genre enthusiasts, its atmosphere and storytelling are leagues above what you would normally find in the survival genre, and it just so happens to be incredibly effective at getting under the skin and making each journey a tense battle with the elements. Having played and loved Pacific Drive, it’s hard to think of a better game to get a second lease on life via Game Pass.
Super Fantasy Kingdom
- Release Date — October 24, 2025
- Developer — Super Fantasy Games
- Publisher — Hooded Horse
- Review Aggregate Score — N/A
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 24, 2025 (Game Pass for PC, Game Pass Ultimate)
The roguelike city-builder genre continues to grow fairly rapidly after the success of Against the Storm, and Super Fantasy Kingdom looks to be one of the more interesting new additions. This fantasy-themed roguelike city-builder uses a visual style and aesthetic that call to mind the old-school RPGs of yore, and its publishing at the hands of Hooded Horse speaks to its quality. The game already has a “Very Positive” user reception on Steam, and Game Pass for PC subscribers can play it for free as long as they subscribe to the Ultimate tier.
Halls of Torment
- Release Date — October 28, 2025
- Developer — Chasing Carrots
- Publisher — Chasing Carrots
- Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 28, 2025
Day-and-date with the game’s release on consoles, Halls of Torment is landing on Xbox Game Pass for all tiers of subscribers, where it’s bound to be one of the service’s biggest hits. Halls of Torment is easily one of the best games to arrive in the rush of “Survivor-likes” following Vampire Survivors‘ success, and its launch on Game Pass is perfectly timed with the next major DLC drop from developer Chasing Carrots. If you’re even remotely a fan of “Survivor-like” games and Diablo, you have to play Halls of Torment.
The Outer Worlds 2
- Release Date — October 29, 2025
- Developer — Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher — Xbox Game Studios
- Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
- Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — October 29, 2025 (Game Pass Ultimate)
Xbox Game Pass is closing out October with the day 1 launch of The Outer Worlds 2, the long-awaited sequel to Obsidian’s 2019 sci-fi action RPG. The Outer Worlds 2 is, by all accounts, an even better game than the original was, with improvements to its gunplay, traversal, and RPG systems making it more immersive and enjoyable to play throughout its roughly 20-hour campaign. And considering most players will do a single playthrough and move on, it’s a perfect Game Pass title.
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