About this tag
Xbox Game Pass Essential is Microsoft's entry-level Game Pass tier, and this tag collects WindowsForum.com coverage of the games and changes that reach it. The clearest example is Rematch, Sloclap's 5v5 soccer title, which arrived on Essential on September 25, 2026, after previously being available through Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass. Discussion around that addition highlights how Essential subscribers receive new titles only occasionally, often older catalog games, and questions the accuracy of claims about how many games the tier has added during the year.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    Rematch Joins Xbox Game Pass Essential With Cloud Play Access

    Microsoft added Rematch, Sloclap's third-person 5v5 soccer game, to Xbox Game Pass Essential on September 25, 2026. The game has been on Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass since it launched in June 2025, and it is now also in the service's cheapest tier on Xbox Series X|S, PC and...