Lock in this weekend, because Xbox Free Play Days is stacking the lineup with a mix of retro history, chaotic co-op, Roman city-building, Lovecraftian horror, and a massive new extraction shooter test. From February 26 through March 1, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members can jump into Atari 50: Anniversary Celebration, Stuffed, Moving Out 2, and Anno 117: Pax Romana, while The Sinking City Remastered and the Marathon Server Slam are open to all Xbox players with no Game Pass membership required.
This latest Free Play Days beats the usual “try one or two games” formula by tying in a major live event: Bungie’s Marathon Server Slam, an open preview for the studio’s upcoming PvP extraction shooter, running from February 26 at 10AM PT to March 2 at 10AM PT on Xbox Series X|S. It’s also a rare chance to sample a full Unreal Engine 5 remaster in The Sinking City Remastered alongside some big discounts if you decide to keep playing after the weekend.
Xbox outlined the full lineup and timings in the latest Free Play Days post on Xbox Wire, confirming the dates, membership requirements, and featured titles for this weekend’s promotion. You can read the original announcement and official breakdown on Xbox Wire, then head back to msftnewsnow.com for deeper coverage, guides, and follow‑up impressions once the weekend kicks off.
How Xbox Free Play Days works this weekend
To get started, Xbox recommends heading to each game’s individual page on Xbox.com or browsing the Free Play Days collection from the Subscriptions tab on your Xbox console. Once there, Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members will see an install option for the eligible titles, while The Sinking City Remastered and Marathon’s Server Slam will appear as free trials for all Xbox players during the event window.
Any Gamerscore and achievements you earn this weekend will carry over if you decide to buy the full game. Many of the featured titles are also discounted for a limited time, so if you fall in love with a particular game, you can grab it at a lower price and keep going right where you left off. Discounts and availability will vary based on your region, but it’s worth checking the store pages for regional pricing during the event.
Marathon Server Slam: Bungie’s extraction shooter lands on Xbox
The headline act is Marathon, Bungie’s new survival extraction FPS set on the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV. Runners—cybernetic mercenaries sent to scavenge the planet—drop into hostile zones, hunt for loot and contracts, and then fight to extract before losing everything in classic high‑stakes extraction style.
The Marathon Server Slam runs from February 26, 2026 at 10AM PT to March 2, 2026 at 10AM PT, and it’s fully free to play on Xbox Series X|S with no Game Pass requirement. This open preview weekend is designed to stress‑test servers and systems at scale, but it’s also your chance to test‑drive the game days before its full launch on March 5. Players can earn rewards like a unique emblem, a player banner, and loot that will carry into the live game once it releases.
You can jump into Marathon’s Server Slam directly from its Xbox store page:
The Sinking City Remastered: Lovecraftian horror, now in Unreal Engine 5
If you prefer slow‑burn horror over PvP chaos, The Sinking City Remastered gives you a full Lovecraftian investigation built with modern tech. Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, the Xbox Series X|S remaster features improved lighting, higher‑detail environments, better textures, and enhanced visual effects, all aimed at boosting the eerie atmosphere of flood‑ridden Oakmont.
During Free Play Days, The Sinking City Remastered is free to try for all Xbox players, not just Game Pass members. You’ll explore a semi‑open world city, piece together clues, and face otherworldly horrors as you investigate the source of the madness taking over Oakmont. If the vibe hooks you, you can pick up the game on discount and continue your investigation with your progress and achievements intact.
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Atari 50, Stuffed, Moving Out 2, and Anno 117 headline Xbox Game Pass Free Play Days
For Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members, four very different titles are joining Free Play Days from Thursday, February 26 through Sunday, March 1. These all require an active Game Pass membership, but once you’re subscribed they’re ready to install and play at no extra cost over the weekend.[news.xbox]
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is equal parts museum and game collection. It combines interactive timelines packed with historical trivia, digital artifacts, over an hour of new interviews, documentary segments, and a curated library of playable Atari titles spanning multiple eras. It’s a great pick if you want to understand where modern gaming came from, or just want to bounce between classics for a nostalgia blast.
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Stuffed
On the other end of the spectrum, Stuffed is a quirky first‑person shooter where you play as a heavily armed teddy bear defending your owner’s dreams. Cute visuals collide with surprisingly frantic combat as you blast away nightmarish enemies solo or in 4‑player online co‑op. It’s optimized for Xbox Series X|S and supports Smart Delivery, so you’ll get the best version for your console automatically.
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Moving Out 2
If you love chaotic co‑op and yelling at your friends (in a good way), Moving Out 2 is back to test your furniture‑moving skills. This sequel returns to Packmore with even more absurd moving jobs, brand new dimensions, and fully featured online co‑op on top of local play. It supports Smart Delivery, is optimized for Xbox Series X|S, and includes Xbox Play Anywhere, so you can move between Xbox and PC while keeping your progress.
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Anno 117: Pax Romana
Strategy fans get a big one this weekend with Anno 117: Pax Romana. This latest Anno entry lets you design and manage your own vision of the Roman Empire, balancing politics, economy, and urban planning as you expand across a detailed ancient world. The Xbox Wire post confirms that the game is currently up to 25% off for a limited time and just added a mosaic pack with more than 30 decorative tiles, with the first DLC, Prophecies of Ash, planned for April and adding a huge volcanic island.
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Why this Free Play Days lineup is worth your time
This particular Free Play Days stands out because it covers almost every mood: competitive PvP extraction in Marathon, investigative horror in The Sinking City Remastered, historical curation in Atari 50, co‑op chaos in Moving Out 2 and Stuffed, and deep city‑building in Anno 117: Pax Romana. It’s also tightly aligned with live events and active development roadmaps, from the Server Slam rewards that carry into Marathon’s launch to Anno 117’s ongoing DLC plans.
If you’re a Game Pass subscriber, it’s an easy weekend win to sample multiple genres and decide which ones deserve a permanent spot in your library—especially while discounts are live. And even if you’re not subscribed, Marathon and The Sinking City Remastered give you a zero‑risk way to test a major upcoming live‑service shooter and a fully rebuilt horror adventure on your Xbox Series X|S.
For more Xbox news, Free Play Days updates, and hands‑on impressions with these games over the weekend, keep checking back at https://msftnewsnow.com/.
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