The indie co-op hit Absolute Now available at every level Xbox Game Pass Except for one. Its arrival is the 11th addition to Microsoft's content catalog in March and the 49th Xbox Game Pass release of 2026.
Absolute is a critically acclaimed roguelite with beat-'em-up-like combat that can be played entirely in co-op or solo. Developed by French studio DotEmu and Montreal-based Guard Crush Games, it was originally released in October 2025 to highly favorable reviews, as underlined by its 86 average score and 97% recommendation rate on OpenCritic. Player response has largely matched its critical reception Absolute Accumulating an 89.97% positive user review rating on Steam and a 4.8-star average in its first five and a half months on the PlayStation Store, each figure is based on nearly 4,000 owner ratings. How those scores compare to its Xbox Store reviews remains to be seen Absolute Initially Microsoft's consoles were left out.
Xbox has officially killed Project Moorcroft
A Microsoft official confirms the end of Project Moorcroft, an ambitious initiative to bring exclusive content to Xbox Game Pass.
Absolum joins Xbox Game Pass with the Series X port
AbsoluteThe delayed Series X/S version is officially available today, March 25. Its launch coincides with roguelite's arrival on Xbox and PC Game Pass. While the Series X/S port was technically added to the catalog one day, both versions Absolute Xbox Game Pass users already have access to the premium tier, in addition to those paying for the actual premium which is the ultimate subscription. Since Microsoft's streaming infrastructure runs on custom Series X models, Absolute Now also playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming in supported regions.
Drag the arms to fill the grid
get started
Drag the arms to fill the grid
EasyMediumHard
Absolute Playable solo from start to finish, it works best as a cooperative experience, with its full campaign available for two players to explore online or in local co-op. Couch co-op mode does not use split-screen; Instead, both players share the same screen. Multiplayer expands Roguelite's tactical options through team combinations available only in pairs. The 2025 title also includes a wide range of accessibility settings, allowing players to tailor the difficulty to their preferences. Although such a broad approach could be risky because catering to everyone could mean failing to impress anyone, Dotemu executed it well. Absolute To become one of the highest rated two-player co-op games of 2025.
While there weren't just any Day-One games, March 2026 was another big month for Xbox Game Pass.
Despite featuring only a modest number of day-one releases, March 2026 is still shaping up to be a meaningful month for Xbox Game Pass. Much of that is in the makeup of this month's 14-game lineup, more than a third of which includes AAA titles, including Kingdom Come: Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077and Like the Dragon: Eternal Wealth. While not as mainstream as those big-budget projects, fan-favorite indies are Disco Elysium and Absolute They are also playing a significant role this month in terms of the quality and variety they bring to the table.
Looking at the slightly bigger picture, the March 2026 lineup underscores how a relatively quiet period for new releases can still materially strengthen the Xbox Game Pass library, underscoring its core pitch of being the best value proposition in the entire gaming industry. Microsoft is particularly keen to emphasize that dynamic in response to its 2025 Late price hike, which raised the cost of Game Pass Ultimate from $19.99 to $29.99 and marked the service's third increase in three years.
Busy days ahead for Xbox Game Pass
Three more titles are set to join the Xbox Game Pass library in the final days of Q1 2026, starting with City Builder. Nova Roma On March 26. long dark It is then scheduled to arrive on March 30, then Resident Evil 7: Biohazard After 24 hours. That's just the start of what's shaping up to be a super busy early spring period for the Xbox service.
Xbox Game Pass Spring 2026 Release Calendar
|
the date |
the game |
Game Pass Tier(s) |
Platform(s) |
notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
March 25 |
Absolute |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
First Day (Series X/S) Release. |
|
March 26 |
Nova Roma |
Param, PC |
pc |
game preview; One day release. |
|
March 30 |
long dark |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, Console, PC |
|
|
March 31 |
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, Console, PC |
|
|
April 2 |
Barbie Horse Trails |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC |
|
|
April 2 |
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
premium |
Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S |
Available from April 2025 on PC GP and XGP Ultimate. |
|
April 7 |
Final Fantasy 4 |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
|
|
April 14 |
was replaced |
Param, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
First day release. |
|
April 23 |
kiln |
Param, PC |
Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S |
First day release for Spring 2026. |
|
April 28 |
Aphelion |
Param, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
First day release. |
|
May 19 |
Forza Horizon 6 |
Param, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
First day release. |
|
August 4 |
Animal of Reincarnation |
Param, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
First day release. |
Next month's Wave 1 lineup is likely to be announced on April 7 at early afternoon ET, based on Microsoft's normal catalog announcement cadence. Two more titles will then join the service: Barbie Horse Trails and Final Fantasy 4. Beyond that, a cyberpunk platformer was replaced and inventive pot wranglers kiln The first day for April 2026 is already confirmed as an Xbox Game Pass release. Also to join next month's lineup AphelionAn otherworldly sci-fi stealth adventure that takes its toll Alien It has an effect up its sleeve.
- issued
-
October 9, 2025
- ESRB
-
Everyone 10+ / Fantasy violence, mild gore, mild language, use of tobacco
- developer(s)
-
Guard Crush Games, Supamonks, Dotemu
- Publisher(s)
-
Dotemu, Gamera games
- Multiplayer
-
Online co-op, local co-op
