Xbox Game Pass October 2026 Wave 2: 7 New Games, Premium Tier Gaps and October Departures

The "eight games" caveat​

Notebookcheck reports that seven of the eight are brand-new additions. The other game was already in Game Pass and is being expanded to the Premium plan. Xbox Wire's wording on Sandustry is that it is "now with Game Pass Premium" and is joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Other outlets describe it the same way. Sandustry joins Game Pass Premium on October 21, having previously been available through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

For Premium subscribers, that makes it a tier-expansion story. It is not a new-release story.

The lineup, date by date​

What the tier differences mean​

Premium is not a full mirror of Ultimate in this wave. Four of the eight entries are listed without Premium:

• Sandustry is the tier expansion. It is listed for Premium, Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
• Dodo Duckie, The Séance of Blake Manor, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Pit of Goblin list Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass.
• Scramble Knights Online, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted and Terrible Lizards list only Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Premium is not named for them.
• Scramble Knights Online and Terrible Lizards are described by Xbox as available on day one with Game Pass. Scramble Knights Online is also a Game Preview title.

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted also mentions EA Play members. The post does not call EA Play a Game Pass tier, so don't read it as one.

Platform labels differ too. Most entries say "Xbox Series X|S", while Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted says "Console". Sandustry is listed for PC only, with no cloud or console entry.

If you have a PC-only or Premium subscription, check the plan column before planning your queue. Don't rely on the "eight games" headline.

Perks and other items in the announcement​

• The Finals Welcome Pack: Available now for Ultimate, Premium, Essential and PC Game Pass members. It contains 500 Multibucks, a 25% bonus XP boost and the "Pretty Hostile" set. That set has a weapon skin, an emote, a spray and an outfit. Xbox says it is available only while the season lasts.
• World of Tanks Modern Armor: XP Stock: Arrives November 3 for the same four plans. It has 20 Enhanced Repair Kits, 20 Enhanced Med Kits and 20 Automatic Fire Suppressors.
• The Elder Scrolls Online: The Season 2 update, "Echoes of Skyrim", is listed for October 21. It is a game update, not a Game Pass addition.

What's leaving​

The same post lists departures, and they matter if you are mid-playthrough. Nine games leave on October 31:

• Day of the Tentacle Remastered
• Dead Static Drive
• Deep Rock Galactic
• Full Throttle Remastered
• Grim Fandango Remastered
• Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris
• Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
• Wartales
• Wildgate

Football Manager 26 (PC) and Football Manager 26 – Console Edition leave on November 10. Xbox's usual nudge applies: buy a leaving title before its date and you may get a discount. The post says "save on these games now" for the October 31 group.

Practical takeaways​

1. Check your plan first. Premium and Essential subscribers get a narrower slice of this wave than Ultimate and PC Game Pass members.
2. Treat the Game Preview labels on Sandustry and Scramble Knights Online as early-access-style releases. Expect unfinished content.
3. Finish or buy the October 31 departures before they go.
4. The Finals and World of Tanks bundles are subscriber perks. The Finals pack is available now, and the World of Tanks bundle arrives November 3.

Xbox's post does not guarantee regional availability or exact release times. Expect the usual staggered rollout.