Xbox Game Pass April 2026: Every New Game Added This Month
Xbox Game Pass has confirmed its second wave of April 2026 additions, bringing nine new titles to the subscription service across the final two weeks of the month. The update, announced on 20 April 2026 via the Xbox News blog, includes Vampire Crawlers — a roguelite deck-builder from the studio behind the breakout hit Vampire Survivors — alongside indie adventures, a strategy prequel, and a classic JRPG. UK players on Game Pass Ultimate can access all titles on the same dates as the US release schedule.
What Is Xbox Game Pass and How Much Does It Cost in the UK?
Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s game subscription service, offering access to a rotating library of titles across Xbox consoles and PC. In the UK, three tiers are currently available:
The service received a price restructure in early 2026, with Microsoft repositioning its tiers to make the entry point more competitive. For UK players who want access to the full April 2026 wave described below, Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass is required — some titles are not available on Essential. Prices may change; always verify at the official Xbox UK page.
Every New Game Coming to Game Pass in April 2026 (Wave 2)
Here is the full confirmed list of additions for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass during the second half of April 2026, plus the Final Fantasy V addition arriving in early May.
A cosy machine-building RPG where players design contraptions and manage resources to complete a family’s dream of building a rocket.
UltimatePremiumPCA narrative adventure set across a dreamlike world rooted in cultural memory and family legacy, with lush hand-crafted environments.
UltimatePremiumPCA turn-based roguelite that blends dungeon crawling with deck-building chaos, from the team behind Vampire Survivors. Every run builds differently.
UltimatePCA multiplayer brawler where players sculpt pottery and bring their creations to life in arena combat. Creativity meets destruction.
UltimatePCA third-person sci-fi survival game alternating between two stranded astronauts on a frozen world, blending hard science with emotional storytelling.
UltimatePCA fast-paced FPS with bullet-time mechanics and high-octane near-future combat. Raw power and precision take centre stage throughout.
UltimatePremiumPCA prequel to the classic turn-based strategy series, arriving via Game Preview. Build kingdoms, command armies, and outmanoeuvre rivals across dynamic maps.
UltimatePCA chaotic multiplayer sledding sandbox with ragdoll physics, trick systems, and proximity voice chat turning each run into a social event.
UltimatePCA roguelike vehicle-builder where players fight off enemy swarms by scavenging and attaching new components mid-run to survive escalating waves.
UltimatePCThe SNES-era JRPG that never received an official Western release at its 1992 launch. Now localised across multiple platforms and arriving on Game Pass.
UltimatePremiumPCVampire Crawlers: The Standout Addition of the Wave
The most discussed title in this wave is Vampire Crawlers — and for good reason. It comes from the same studio responsible for Vampire Survivors, the deceptively simple bullet-heaven game that dominated indie gaming charts in 2022 and 2023. Vampire Crawlers takes a different direction: it is turn-based rather than real-time, but keeps the franchise’s signature sense of escalating, card-combo chaos.
Early preview coverage describes the game as highly replayable, with each run offering wildly different outcomes depending on which card combinations a player stumbles into. For Game Pass subscribers, this is exactly the kind of low-risk, high-reward title the service is built to deliver — a game many players would hesitate to pay full price for, but will likely sink hours into once it appears on their dashboard.
Why Vampire Crawlers Is Worth Your Time
The Vampire Survivors pedigree means this studio understands build variety and escalating power fantasy. Vampire Crawlers takes those instincts into a turn-based space, which should give each run considerably more strategic weight than its predecessor. On Game Pass, there is no barrier to finding out for yourself.
Which Games Are Leaving Game Pass on 30 April 2026?
As new titles arrive, nine games are departing the service at the end of the month. UK players who have been meaning to finish any of the following should act before 30 April.
Leaving Game Pass on 30 April 2026
- Citizen Sleeper
- Creatures of Ava
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
- Endless Legend 2
- Goat Simulator
- Goat Simulator Remastered
- Hunt: Showdown 1896
- NHL 24 (EA Play)
- Revenge of the Savage Planet
Citizen Sleeper is the most notable departure. The narrative RPG set aboard a decaying space station received widespread critical acclaim on its original release and remains one of the stronger indie titles to have passed through Game Pass in recent years. If it is sitting in your backlog, 30 April is your hard deadline.
Game Pass Essential: What Did It Get in April 2026?
Game Pass Essential — the lowest tier at £7.99 per month in the UK — received two additions on 8 April: DayZ and Warhammer: Vermintide 2. Microsoft does not regularly expand the Essential library at the same pace as Ultimate, and these two additions represent the full Essential update for the month.
Subscribers on the Essential tier will not have access to any of the Wave 2 titles listed in this article. To access the full April 2026 library, an upgrade to Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass is required.
The April 2026 Wave 2 additions include Vampire Crawlers, Little Rocket Lab, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato, Kiln, Aphelion, Trepang2, Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era, Sledding Game, and TerraTech Legion. Final Fantasy V arrives on 5 May. All titles are on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, with availability varying by tier.
In the UK, Game Pass Essential costs £7.99 per month, PC Game Pass costs £9.99 per month, and Game Pass Ultimate costs £12.99 per month. Ultimate includes cloud gaming, EA Play, and day-one access to new Microsoft titles. Prices are subject to change; verify current rates on the official Xbox UK website.
Yes. Vampire Crawlers is available now on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass as of April 2026. It is a turn-based roguelite with deck-building mechanics, from the team behind Vampire Survivors. It is not currently listed as available on Game Pass Essential.
Nine games leave Game Pass on 30 April 2026: Citizen Sleeper, Creatures of Ava, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Endless Legend 2, Goat Simulator, Goat Simulator Remastered, Hunt: Showdown 1896, NHL 24 via EA Play, and Revenge of the Savage Planet. Download or complete them before that date.
Yes. Final Fantasy V arrives on Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass on 5 May 2026. It is the SNES-era JRPG that was not officially released in the West during its original 1992 launch and has since been localised across multiple platforms.
Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era enters Game Pass via Game Preview on 30 April 2026, available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. As a Game Preview title it is still in active development, so the final release may differ from the version available at launch.
Yes. BriefLedger publishes regular gaming news and subscription updates, including monthly Game Pass additions and departures. Our gaming section also covers indie game reviews and UK market analysis so British players can make informed decisions about what to play next.
References
- Xbox News — https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/04/20/xbox-game-pass-april-2026-wave-2/
- Xbox Game Pass official UK site — https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/xbox-game-pass
- CNET Gaming — https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/game-pass/
Abi has been writing about gaming, sports, puzzles, and UK entertainment since 2019. She covers everything from game reviews and festival previews to your daily Wordle hints — always from a British perspective.
