Xbox Game Pass adds the highest-rated game of 2026

Forza Horizon 6 is now available on Xbox Game Pass in two membership tiers. Its arrival marks the ninth new addition to Microsoft's May 2026 subscription catalog and the 81st release of Xbox Game Pass this year.

Forza Horizon 6 is currently the highest-rated video game of 2026, according to OpenCritic. The aggregator's database contains 106 reviews with a perfect recommendation rate and an average score of 91. Critics have widely praised the game's content diversity, customization options, and scalable graphics that look good on a variety of hardware. The core driving experience has also been praised for pairing arcade fun with a detailed enough setting to provide something a little more immersive for those looking to engage with a heavier physics model.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers have more benefits for May 2026

Xbox Game Pass subscribers can claim new benefits, from updated monthly deals to brand new rewards for May 2026.

Forza Horizon 6 is now available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Forza Horizon 6 is officially available on Xbox Series X/S and PC starting May 19. Like any other current release from Microsoft, the critically acclaimed open-world racer also joined Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on day one at midnight ET. Subscribers were technically able to play Forza Horizon 6 from May 15, but only if they have purchased its Premium Edition upgrade. Regularly priced at $60, the DLC was – and is – also obtainable with Microsoft Rewards points.

When is Forza Horizon 6 coming to Xbox Game Pass Premium?

Ever since Microsoft locked out the first release for its higher-priced subscriptions in late 2024, the company has avoided saying when individual titles will reach Xbox Game Pass Premium, formerly called XGP Standard. However, it has committed that its first-party games will join the mid-level service no later than 12 months later. Lately, his AAA games most often trickle down shortly before their first anniversary. For example, Doom: The Dark Ages joined Xbox Game Pass Premium a few days ago Subnautica 2's Ultimate-tier release, exactly one day before the first-person shooter was due to debut. If Microsoft were to continue this pattern Forza Horizon 6the game will reach Xbox Game Pass Premium around May 2027.

Upcoming Xbox Game Pass games with confirmed release dates

Date	Game	Game Pass Level(s).	Platforms	Comment
May 19	Forza Horizon 6	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	First day release.
May 21st	Beast	final	Series X/S	First day release.
May 27th	Echo generation 2	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	First day release.
May 28	Crashout Crew	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	First day release.
July 13th	Ascend to zero	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	First day release.
August 4th	Beast from Reincarnation	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	First day release.
August 14th	Grave Seasons	Ultimate, PC	Cloud, PC, Series X/S	First day release.

Looking to the more immediate future, brewing roguelite Beast coming to Xbox Game Pass on May 21, the turn-based RPG will follow Echo generation 2 six days later. Party racing game Crashout Crew it is then scheduled for May 28. While there are no other confirmed arrivals for this month, that's only because the Wave 2 lineup for May 2026 hasn't been revealed yet. The announcement is likely to take place today, May 19, based on Microsoft's typical PR cadence.

Forza Horizon 6 has already reached a record number of players on Steam during its early access period, which only included players who paid for its $120 edition. The next series first deals with progression mechanics, with the game offering support for seamless cross-platform progression. While this means, for example, it will be possible to continue a campaign started on PC Game Pass on PlayStation 5 once the game hits Sony's console later this year, the DLC content itself is locked to specific platforms, with one exception being the Xbox Play Anywhere program, which unifies the Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft/Xbox Store versions of the game.