Xbox Free Play Days November 2026 gives Xbox players eight games to try from November 5 to 8. The catch is that six need Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate, and one of those, IXION, is limited to two hours. Anno 117: Pax Romana and Crime Boss: Rockay City are the two offers open to all Xbox members, without a Game Pass subscription.
If you don’t have Game Pass, head straight for Anno 117 or Crime Boss. If you do, there are five more games you can play during the weekend, plus the shorter IXION trial. Here’s who can download what, and which deadlines to watch.
Xbox Free Play Days November 2026: all eight games and access rules
Xbox has split this week’s Xbox Free Play Days November 2026 line-up into three types of access: five standard Game Pass weekend games, one two-hour trial and two offers for all Xbox members. None of the eight is a permanent free-game giveaway.
| Game | Platform | Requirement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAYDAY 3 | Xbox Series X|S | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate | Full weekend |
| Nowhere Prophet | Console and Xbox PC | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate | Full weekend |
| BALL x PIT | Xbox console | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate | Full weekend |
| Deceive Inc. | Xbox console | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate | Full weekend |
| Age of Wonders 4 | Xbox console | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate | Full weekend |
| IXION | Xbox console | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate | Two hours only |
| Anno 117: Pax Romana | Xbox Series X|S | All Xbox members, no Game Pass | Full weekend |
| Crime Boss: Rockay City | Xbox Series X|S | All Xbox members, no Game Pass | Full weekend |
Which Xbox Free Play Days November 2026 games need Game Pass?
PAYDAY 3, Nowhere Prophet, BALL x PIT, Deceive Inc. and Age of Wonders 4 all need Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate for their Xbox Free Play Days access. You can play them during the advertised November 5 to 8 period on the platforms listed in the table.
IXION needs an eligible Game Pass membership too, but you only get two hours. Once you’ve used that allowance, the fact that the weekend hasn’t finished won’t give you more free playtime.
Which games are free without Game Pass?
Anno 117: Pax Romana and Crime Boss: Rockay City are the exceptions. Xbox confirms they’re free to try for all members on Series X|S from November 5 to 8. You need to sign into an Xbox account, but you don’t need to pay for Game Pass to access either offer.
Ubisoft also has its own Anno 117 free weekend announcement, running through November 9 on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. That conflicts with Xbox Wire’s November 8 Free Play Days end date for the Xbox offer. Check the countdown in the Xbox Store rather than assuming you’ll have the extra day on console.
How to install the Xbox trial games
On your console, open the Microsoft Store, choose Subscriptions and find Free Play Days. Pick one of the eight games and look for its trial install option. You can also follow the game links from Xbox Wire, which take you to the relevant Microsoft Store page.
Seeing only a purchase button? Make sure you’re signed into the correct account and that you’ve selected the right edition. Five full-weekend games and IXION need one of the three eligible Game Pass tiers; Anno 117 and Crime Boss don’t. Our Free Play Days not showing guide covers what to check next.
Can you play Xbox Free Play Days November 2026 on PC?
Nowhere Prophet is explicitly offered on both Xbox console and PC through Xbox. Some other games carry Xbox Play Anywhere branding, but don’t assume that makes the Free Play Days promotion available on PC too. Our Xbox Free Play Days PC guide explains how to check.
There are separate PC promotions outside Xbox’s offer. Ubisoft Connect and Epic have an Anno 117 trial, while the Age of Wonders 4 free weekend on Steam runs until Monday, November 9 at 6 PM GMT. Those don’t require the same Xbox Game Pass eligibility.
What time do Xbox Free Play Days end in the UK?
Xbox gives Sunday, November 8, 2026 as the final day of Xbox Free Play Days November 2026. It doesn’t state a single GMT cut-off time, so don’t count on being able to play until 11:59 PM UK time. Look at the store countdown if you’re leaving the download until Sunday.
IXION might end earlier for you if you’ve already used the two-hour trial. The Steam trial of Age of Wonders 4 has its own later deadline and shouldn’t be confused with the Xbox offer.
Do you keep the games or your progress?
These are temporary trials, so you don’t keep the games for free. Xbox confirms that Gamerscore and achievements earned during Free Play Days are kept if you buy the game. Save files and progress can depend on the game, account and platform, so don’t assume every title supports cross-platform transfers.
You can buy a game if you want to keep playing afterwards, but you don’t need to make a purchase to use a trial you’re eligible for. Our Free Play Days saves and achievements guide explains what normally carries over. The Aric Rex pack is a separate free add-on, not another full-game trial.
Without Game Pass, your Xbox choices this weekend are Anno 117 and Crime Boss. With Essential, Premium or Ultimate, you can also try the five longer weekend games and two hours of IXION. Whichever you choose, the Xbox Free Play Days November 2026 offer finishes on November 8, with exact store timings worth checking.
Official source: Xbox Wire’s November Free Play Days announcement.
