Xbox Game Pass Update Adds 4 Retro Games

by

Xbox Game Pass has expanded its Retro Classics library with four new games. Now, subscribers can enjoy a total of 103 classic arcade, PC, and console games at no extra charge.

Xbox Game Pass quietly launched its Retro Classics collection on May 21, 2025, without any prior announcement. Created in partnership with Antstream Arcade, the collection features a wide variety of classic games originally from Activision, Blizzard, and Sierra. It started with 60 games, and has been growing steadily ever since, adding about four new titles each month.

Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics Gets Four New Games in January 2026

Xbox Game Pass has updated its Retro Classics collection with a fresh batch of games for January 2026. This month’s update includes four new titles.

  • Sky Patrol
  • Keystone Kapers
  • Laser Gates
  • Rise of the Dragon

Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics January 2026 Game Sky Patrol Explained

Image via Imagic

A rare and intriguing Atari 2600 game called Sky Patrol is coming to the Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics collection in January 2026. Developed by Imagic, a company known for many popular games on the Atari 2600 and Intellivision, Sky Patrol has a unique history. Unlike Imagic’s other hits like Atlantis, Riddle of the Sphinx, and Demon Attack, this game was never officially released. Only a handful of unfinished prototype copies of Sky Patrol circulated in 1982.

The current version of Sky Patrol is a very basic hot air balloon simulator. Players can fly around, but there isn’t much to do. While the full game was planned to have a World War I story where players dodge enemy fire, this early version just lets you float upwards without any clear objective.

Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics January 2026 Game Keystone Kapers Explained

Image via Activision

Originally released in 1983 for the Atari 2600, Keystone Kapers was created by Garry Kitchen, a programmer and designer at Activision who now advises the National Video Game Museum. The game draws inspiration from the slapstick comedies of the 1910s, particularly those featuring the ‘Keystone Cops.’ In Keystone Kapers, players control Officer Kelly as he pursues the mischievous thief Harry Hooligan through a department store, attempting to bring him to justice.

Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics January 2026 Game Laser Gates Explained

Image via Imagic

Released in 1983 for the Atari 2600, Laser Gates is a fast-paced, side-scrolling spaceship shooter. Players pilot the ship ‘Dante Dart’ through the inside of a computer’s defense system, blasting enemy ships and turrets. The challenge lies in dodging obstacles within the tight tunnels. Like Sky Patrol, Laser Gates was created by Imagic, but unlike its predecessor, this game was officially published.

Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics January 2026 Game Rise of the Dragon Explained

Image via Sierra On-Line

Released in 1990, Rise of the Dragon first appeared on DOS before being adapted for Amiga, Mac OS, and Sega CD. Similar to other Dynamix games from the 90s, such as The Adventures of Willy Beamish (also available in the Retro Classics collection), Rise of the Dragon is a graphic adventure game. Players explore environments, talk to characters, and solve puzzles by using items and clues they find during their journey, switching between first- and third-person views.

Read More

2026-01-15 20:11