Xbox Game Pass Subscribers Have Two Surprise Games to Play Today

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Xbox Game Pass unexpectedly added two new games on January 6th. Every month, games are added and removed from the service, and sometimes these updates are more exciting than others. This month, Xbox Game Pass subscribers have a pleasant surprise – there are more new games available than originally announced.

Microsoft hasn’t said much lately about new games for its Xbox Game Pass subscription. While they announced five games leaving in January 2026, they initially only confirmed two additions for the month. Now, things are becoming clearer, and there’s a lot to be excited about. Xbox has revealed the complete first batch of new games, confirming that more than two titles will be added in January – and some are already available to play.

Starting today, January 6th, Xbox Game Pass members can enjoy two new games: Little Nightmares: Enhanced Edition and Brews & Bastards. This is great news for fans of scary games, especially since a popular indie horror game recently left the service. Little Nightmares offers a strong alternative, and this Enhanced Edition updates the 2017 original with modern features like 4K visuals, a smooth 60 frames per second, and ray tracing. Players can also customize their experience, choosing between detailed graphics or a faster framerate – options that weren’t common in indie games nine years ago.

New Xbox Game Pass Games Available on January 6

  • Little Nightmares: Enhanced Edition
  • Brews & Bastards

Many fans consider Little Nightmares to be the best 2D horror game ever made, and even with sequels and a mobile game now available, the original remains excellent. Brews & Bastards is a newer game, launching in September 2025, and early Steam feedback is largely positive. It’s a twin-stick shooter and dungeon crawler that can be played solo or with up to four friends in co-op. Good news for players: both games are included with all levels of Xbox Game Pass, so you don’t need a premium subscription to play them.

Image via Bandai Namco

As a Game Pass subscriber, I’m really happy with how things are going so far in 2026! We’re still a ways off from the end of the year, but getting more games each month than we expected is a fantastic surprise, and I’m hoping it means even more to come. Last year, 2025, was amazing – Game Pass added a whopping 216 games and only took away 128, giving us a net gain of 88 titles! We even got huge releases right away, like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which won Game of the Year. It’ll be tough to top that, but 2026 is starting strong, and I’m excited to see what else gets added!

As a Game Pass subscriber, I’m really feeling the pressure on Xbox to deliver this year – and it’s not just about having a great 2025 lineup. They raised the price of Game Pass last year, which a lot of us weren’t happy about, and hardware costs have gone up too. So, we’re all expecting more – or at least better – games to justify the expense. It’s still early to say if Game Pass will be able to meet those expectations, but it’s good to see they’re starting with some nice surprises like Little Nightmares and Brews & Bastards! Hopefully, it’s a sign of things to come.

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2026-01-06 19:04