PC Game Pass might lose access to day one games like Forza Horizon 6 and Fable in 2026

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass has evolved since its inception, delivering day-one access to first-party releases and major third-party titles across consoles and PC. However, the surprise, seemingly sudden 50% price increase for the premium Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier in October 2025 caused significant backlash, diminishing Game Pass's overall value proposition in gamers' eyes.

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As far as Xbox's first-party lineup is concerned, 2026 is going to be a banner year thanks to Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Gears of War E-Day, Halo: Campaign Evolved, the next Call of Duty, and more. According to a new report from The Verge's Tom Warren, Microsoft is planning further changes to the Xbox Game Pass tier structure in 2026, though there probably won't be another significant price increase.

That said, it's probably not great news for those with a PC Game Pass subscription. Citing sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, the company appears to be looking to merge the Xbox Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass Tiers, which would presumably remove access to the biggest day-one game releases for PC gamers in favor of a more streamlined set of offerings.

This makes sense from a business standpoint, as Xbox has evolved to encompass consoles like the Xbox Series X, desktop PCs with GeForce RTX graphics, dedicated Windows gaming handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally X, and even tablets, TVs, and smartphones through Xbox Cloud Gaming. Basically, getting rid of the PC-only PC Game Pass tier would result in a cleaner set of subscription tiers - Essential, Premium, and Ultimate - with access to Xbox games on all platforms.

The downside here appears to be limited to PC and handheld gamers, who lose access to day-one releases like Forza Horizon 6 and Fable when they transition to the slightly cheaper Xbox Game Pass Premium tier. In addition, Microsoft is looking to bundle more third-party services with Game Pass this year, including EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, and Fortnite Crew.