Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape, Subnautica 2 Headline Huge Xbox Game Pass Wave 1 for May 2026

Xbox is kicking off May 2026 with one of the strongest Xbox Game Pass lineups in recent memory, led by the long-awaited Forza Horizon 6, narrative adventure Mixtape, and underwater survival sequel Subnautica 2. Whether you’re into racing, story-driven experiences, or co‑op survival, there’s something big landing on the service almost every few days this month. On top of that, classics like Final Fantasy V and space sim Elite Dangerous help round out a stacked schedule.

In a new Xbox Wire post, Senior Community Lead Megan Spurr breaks down all the Game Pass arrivals for the first half of May, including day‑one launches like Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape, Outbound, Call of the Elder Gods, and Subnautica 2. Racing fans can mark May 19 on the calendar for Forza Horizon 6, which takes the open‑world festival to Japan with over 550 cars and early access via a Premium Upgrade. Narrative fans, meanwhile, can dive into Mixtape on May 7, a coming‑of‑age adventure published by Annapurna Interactive that leans into teen nostalgia, music, and the bittersweet chaos of growing up.

If survival is more your speed, Subnautica 2 arrives as a Game Preview title on May 14, sending players to an all‑new alien ocean world with optional 4‑player co‑op, base building, and deep‑sea exploration. Cozy players get their own day‑one arrival with Outbound on May 11, a colorful life‑sim where you build and upgrade a home‑on‑wheels, tap into renewable energy, and live off‑grid solo or with up to four players. Horror and cosmic‑mystery fans should keep an eye on Call of the Elder Gods, also launching day one on May 12, which expands on 2020’s Call of the Sea with a Lovecraftian puzzle adventure.

Below, we’ll run through all the key dates, platforms, and genres so you can plan your May backlog attack.

Available today and early May highlights

The drops start immediately with a classic RPG and a handful of action and sports titles filling out the first week.

• Final Fantasy V (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – Available now, May 5

  • A remastered take on the 16‑bit classic where the balance of elemental crystals is threatened, sending a young hero and his Chocobo on a world‑spanning quest.

• Ben 10 Power Trip (Cloud, Console, PC) – May 6

  • Family‑friendly action‑adventure set across Europe, letting you swap between Ben’s alien forms to battle Hex, solve puzzles, and explore in solo or co‑op.

• Descenders Next (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, PC) – May 6

  • Extreme sports with snowboards and mountainboards, plus a tighter link between Career and Grand Tour modes so progression toward new parks and race types feels smoother.

• Wheel World (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – May 6

  • A “cosmic biking adventure” where you play as Kat, racing through neon highways and forests while hunting legendary bike parts to perform the Great Shift ritual.

• Wildgate (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – May 6

  • PvPvE ship‑to‑ship combat blended with fast first‑person gunplay, featuring environmental hazards, lootable upgrades, and multiple competitive modes.

• Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – May 6

  • A grim, souls‑like action RPG set in the dying days of the Ming Dynasty, starring a cursed pirate warrior fighting through plague‑ridden chaos.

All of these land across a mix of cloud, console, PC, and the newer “Handheld” designation, which flags games optimized for handheld play via cloud or supported devices.

Day‑one blockbusters: Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape, Outbound, Subnautica 2

The back half of the first wave is where the heavy hitters arrive, starting with Annapurna’s Mixtape.

• Mixtape (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – May 7, day one

  • Developed by Beethoven & Dinosaur, Mixtape is a narrative adventure inspired by classic teen movies, using music, mischief, and vignettes to explore the highs and lows of adolescence.

• Outbound (Cloud, Console, PC) – May 11, day one

  • A cozy off‑grid builder where you craft workstations, harvest renewable energy from sun, wind, or water, and turn your vehicle into a fully featured mobile home.

• Call of the Elder Gods (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – May 12, day one

  • A Lovecraftian narrative puzzle sequel to Call of the Sea, sending you to remote corners of the world to unearth ancient horrors and mind‑bending mysteries.

• Subnautica 2 (Game Preview) (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – May 14, day one

  • Builds on the original’s undersea survival with a brand‑new alien planet, 4‑player co‑op, and expanded base building and crafting systems.

• Forza Horizon 6 (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – May 19, day one

  • Set in Japan, Forza Horizon 6 boasts more than 550 real‑world cars, the biggest open world in the series yet, and early access plus extra content via the Premium Upgrade.

With Mixtape, Outbound, Call of the Elder Gods, and Subnautica 2 all launching straight into the library, Game Pass continues to lean hard into day‑one value across multiple genres. Forza Horizon 6 then caps off the wave as one of Microsoft’s marquee first‑party releases of 2026.

More May arrivals: card games, space sims, and DOOM

Beyond the headline acts, May’s first batch includes a mix of card‑based tension, classic demon‑slaying, and one of the most famous space sims around.

• Black Jacket (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – May 12

  • A stylish, painterly spin on blackjack where restless souls gamble for eternity in a purgatorial card hall, with cheating actively encouraged.

• Elite Dangerous (Cloud, Console) – May 12

  • Long‑running open‑galaxy sim that lets you trade, fight, mine, and explore in a persistent universe while building wealth, reputation, and a fleet of ships.

• DOOM: The Dark Ages (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – May 14

  • A medieval prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, telling the cinematic origin of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in a brutal war against Hell.

Taken together, the month offers a rare spread: family games, hardcore RPGs, narrative adventures, sims, horror, and shooters all landing within roughly two weeks.

Updates, perks, and what’s leaving

It wouldn’t be a Game Pass update without live‑service refreshes, perks, and a few titles heading out.

Recent and ongoing updates include:

• inKonbini: One Store. Many Stories – Available now (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC)

  • A cozy narrative about life working night shifts in a small‑town Japanese convenience store, where conversations and choices shape heartfelt vignettes.

• Dead by Daylight – Bloodbound Release Update

  • Adds crossovers with Darkest Dungeon, Attack on Titan, and Alien, plus new outfits, rewards, and the return of a fan‑favorite mode.

• Sea of Thieves – Last Ship Standing (Act 3, Season 19)

  • Introduces huge battles in the Sea of the Damned focused on Sloop crews, with other ship types planned for future rounds.

• World of Warships: Legends perks

  • Free‑to‑play naval combat with over 600 historically inspired ships, cross‑progression, and strategic team‑based battles, now featuring additional Game Pass benefits.

On the flip side, several games leave the Game Pass library on May 15, so now is the time to wrap up stories or buy at a discount:

• Galacticare (Cloud, Console, PC)

• Go Mecha Ball (Cloud, Console, PC)

• Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo (Cloud, Console, PC)

• Paw Patrol Rescue Wheels: Championship (Cloud, Console, PC)

• Planet of Lana (Cloud, Console, PC)

Subscribers can save up to 20% on these titles before they depart, which is handy if any have become regular favorites.

With major day‑one heavyweights like Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape, and Subnautica 2 arriving alongside a deep bench of smaller games and live‑service updates, May 2026 is shaping up to be a huge month for Xbox Game Pass across console, PC, cloud, and handheld play.

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About The Author

Dave W. Shanahan

I’m Dave W. Shanahan, a Microsoft enthusiast with a passion for Windows, Xbox, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure, and more. I started MSFTNewsNow.com to keep the world updated on Microsoft news. Based in Massachusetts, you can email me at davewshanahan@gmail.com.

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