Xbox is kicking off another big Free Play Days weekend, and this one covers sports, anime action, roguelite RPG, and deep strategy in a single event. NHL 26, Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, Lynked: Banner of the Spark, and Age of Wonders 4 are all getting time‑limited access across Xbox Game Pass tiers and standard Xbox accounts from Thursday, February 12 through Sunday, February 15.
What’s included in this Xbox Free Play Days lineup?
This weekend’s promotion is split into two tracks: Xbox Free Play Days for All, which anyone on Xbox can join, and Free Play Days that require an Xbox Game Pass membership. and Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream fall into the Free Play Days for All category, meaning any Xbox player can download and try them during the event window, no Game Pass required.
Lynked: Banner of the Spark and Age of Wonders 4 are part of the members‑only side of the event, available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential subscribers. All four titles are time‑limited trials running from February 12 to February 15, but they also come with store discounts so you can buy and keep playing after the weekend ends, with your progress and Achievements intact.
NHL 26: Test the next generation of hockey
For sports fans, EA Sports NHL 26 is the headliner of this Free Play Days wave. EA’s latest entry in the hockey franchise leans heavily on its new ICE‑Q 2.0 system, which uses NHL EDGE tracking data to make star players think, move, and play more like their real‑world counterparts. Attributes and tendencies are data‑informed, which helps superstars feel distinct in how they handle the puck, set up plays, and react to the flow of the game.
On the ice, NHL 26 adds an expanded set of 28 X‑Factors across five categories, each tied to unique animations and tactical outcomes that can change the tempo of a match. Goalies also benefit from the new Goalie Crease Control System, which introduces improved close‑range saves, better reactions to deflections, and smarter positioning to give netminders more believable control in the crease.
Off the ice, a redesigned Be A Pro mode lets you live out a full career journey from rookie to superstar, with new storylines, characters, and cutscenes that react to the choices you make along the way. If you’ve been waiting to see whether NHL 26 is a real step forward or just a roster update, this Free Play Days weekend is an easy way to jump in and find out.
Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream: Anime multiverse chaos
If you’re more into anime action than sports, Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream is the big draw. Set in Alfheim Online, the game revolves around Galaxia, a new system that lets players relive the past—until things go wrong and characters from across time and space are thrown together. The result is a crossover that pulls in 21 playable characters from across the Sword Art Online series for solo or co‑op battles, with a narrative hook built around memory, timelines, and reality splintering.
Fractured Daydream leans into fast‑paced combat and cooperative play, giving you the option to take on challenges alone or with friends as you explore this fractured version of the SAO universe. For fans of the anime or light novels, this Free Play Days window is a chance to try the game’s take on multiverse storytelling and ensemble combat without committing to a full purchase up front.
Lynked: Banner of the Spark: Roguelite meets life sim
On the Game Pass side, Lynked: Banner of the Spark offers something a little different from the usual action RPG. Described as a “rogue‑life RPG,” it fuses classic roguelite runs with the longer‑term progression and charm of a life sim. Out in the field, you’re taking on swarms of robot enemies and tough bosses in action‑packed encounters; back at home, you’re using collected parts and resources to expand and upgrade your base.
That back‑and‑forth loop between combat and community is the heart of Lynked. Whether you prefer min‑maxing your builds and taking on harder runs or spending time improving your home, you’re still contributing to the broader effort to “save the world” alongside your in‑game village. For Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential players looking for something fresh in the roguelite space, this weekend is a low‑risk test drive.
Age of Wonders 4: Deep 4X fantasy strategy
Rounding out the lineup is Age of Wonders 4, which brings Paradox’s blend of 4X strategy and turn‑based tactical combat to Free Play Days. In Age of Wonders 4, you build and rule a fantasy realm of your own design, customizing your faction and watching it evolve as your empire expands across magically infused maps. Each turn is a mix of big‑picture decisions on the world map and smaller‑scale tactical battles that play out in detail.
What makes Age of Wonders 4 stand out is its emphasis on customization and replayability—your faction can change as you adopt new tomes of magic, interact with powerful rulers, and respond to the evolving threats of each realm. During the event, the game is also discounted by 50% as part of a Paradox Publisher Spotlight Sale on Xbox, making it especially tempting if the free weekend hooks you.
How to start playing Free Play Days titles
Getting into these Free Play Days games is straightforward whether you prefer web or console. On the web, you can head to Xbox.com, browse to the game’s detail page, and hit the install button; you’ll be sent to the Microsoft Store, where you need to be signed in with the same account tied to your Xbox console and, if applicable, your Game Pass membership.
On console, open the Microsoft Store, jump to the Subscriptions tab, and scroll down to the dedicated Free Play Days collection. From there, you can pick any of the featured titles—NHL 26, Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, Lynked: Banner of the Spark, or Age of Wonders 4—and queue them for download on Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S. As long as you’re playing within the February 12–15 window, you’ll have full access for the duration of the promotion.
Keep your progress with discounted upgrades
One of the best parts of Xbox Free Play Days is that all your effort carries forward. Any Gamerscore, Achievements, and in‑game progress you earn during the weekend will stay tied to your account, so if you decide to buy the game afterward, you simply pick up where you left off. There’s no separate “demo save” or progress wipe when the event ends.
Microsoft is also pairing the free access with discounts on the featured games and, in some cases, other editions or add‑ons. While the exact percentages vary by title and region, NHL 26, Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, and Age of Wonders 4 are all listed with reduced pricing during the event, making it cheaper to lock in a copy than at standard MSRP. Lynked: Banner of the Spark is also available at its regular price if you decide you’ve found a new roguelite obsession.
Free Play Days for All vs. Game Pass member perks
This particular weekend highlights how Xbox is using Free Play Days both as a wider community event and a perk for subscribers. Free Play Days for All, which covers NHL 26 and Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, is open to every Xbox player, giving anyone with a console a taste of full games for a limited time. It’s a good way to try genres you might not usually buy, from licensed anime to realistic sports.
The Game Pass‑gated side with Lynked and Age of Wonders 4 adds extra value for paying members—especially those on Ultimate, Premium, or Essential—by rotating in time‑limited trials alongside the existing Game Pass library. Between permanent catalog titles and weekend‑only events like this, it gives subscribers more reasons to check the store regularly and try games they might otherwise skip.
Don’t miss the weekend window
With four very different experiences on offer—authentic hockey sim, anime co‑op action, a hybrid roguelite life sim, and deep fantasy strategy—this Free Play Days lineup has something for most types of Xbox players. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to test NHL 26’s data‑driven ICE‑Q 2.0 system, experiment with SAO’s multiverse mash‑up, or sink into a sprawling 4X campaign, this February 12–15 window is the perfect opportunity.
To make the most of it, start downloads early, sample everything that looks interesting, and keep an eye on the store discounts in case one of these games clicks for you. And if you want to stay ahead of future weekends like this, stay tuned to more Free Play Days coverage on https://msftnewsnow.com
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