May 2026 is looking to be a big month for Xbox Game Pass, as some of the Xbox titles dropping in the first half of the month alone are big names that players have been looking forward to for ages.

These headlines include the likes of Forza Horizon 6, the latest and biggest entry yet in Microsoft's flagship racing franchise. Subnautica 2, the long-awaited sequel to 2018's critically-acclaimed underwater survival adventure game, Subnautica, and Doom: The Dark Ages, the latest entry in the bloody, first-person shooter series, DOOM.

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Games leaving Xbox Game Pass (May 15)

• Galacticare (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Go Mecha Ball (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Paw Patrol Rescue Wheels: Championship (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Planet of Lana (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Windows Central's take

I believe it goes without saying that Forza Horizon 6 is the most anticipated game from this line-up. I know my colleague and long-time Forza fan, Richard Devine, is beyond ecstatic for this game after playing an exclusive preview build of Forza Horizon 6 that left him astonished.

Its race tracks set in Japan are gigantic, with plenty of crazy twists and turns. It's packed with over 550 playable cars, various other gameplay features like drag racing, smashable Regional Mascots that yield credits, smashable Bonus Boards that yield XP, and more.

If you're into racing games that strive for realism, you'll want to keep Forza Horizon 6 on your radar, as this could be the pinnacle of the franchise.

After a long, controversial legal battle between its developer and publisher, Subnautica 2 is looking to make its Xbox Game Pass debut on May 14, 2026, unimpeded.

This game aims to take everything that players loved about the original Subnautica and expand upon it with a new alien world to explore either solo or in 4-player co-op. There will also be new tools and base types to craft, new mysteries to solve, and horrifying sea monsters lurking at the bottom of the ocean waiting to prey upon helpless, unprepared explorers.

However, my personal favorite title from this batch that I can't wait to play again on Xbox Game Pass, is DOOM: The Dark Ages.

While I wasn't totally sold on the slower, parry-focused direction this game took compared to the lightning-fast, gloriously chaotic bulletstorm that was DOOM: Eternal, that didn't stop me from having a blast with DOOM: The Dark Ages.

The gameplay was brutal and challenging as ever, the weapons were gloriously over-the-top and fun to use, and the sweet catharsis you get after ripping and tearing demons in half was so satisfying.

If you want to know more about this game to see if its violent gameplay is for you before playing it on Xbox Game Pass, check out our review of DOOM: The Dark Ages, where we cover all its gameplay mechanics, story, and more.

🗨️ Over to you

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Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran with over 35 years of experience who primarily covers Xbox and PC gaming news and spotlights discounts on the best laptops, peripherals, and other electronics. He's also a diehard fan of JRPGs, action games, beat em’ ups, and Capcom’s Monster Hunter series