Ninja Gaiden 4 and Wicked West are now playable via Xbox Game Pass. These are the 57th and 58th new additions to the PC and Ultimate tiers of Microsoft's October 2025 subscription service, with Wicked West is unusual in that it came to Xbox Game Pass a little earlier than originally announced.
Ninja Gaiden 4 was a confirmed day an Xbox Game Pass release from the moment Team Ninja and PlatinumGames revealed it in January 2025. Published by Xbox Game Studios, the latest installment in the hardcore action franchise locked down an October 21st release date back in June.
Ninja Gaiden 4 lands on Xbox Game Pass as planned, Evil West is here early
As is often the case with global AAA releases, Ninja Gaiden 4 became available in the US a few hours before its official debut date, at 5:00 PM PDT / 8:00 PM EDT on October 20. It was also when it was rolled out to eligible Xbox Game Pass subscribers worldwide. In a more unexpected turn of events, Flying Wild Hogs sci-fi western Wicked West reached Microsoft's subscription service at exactly the same time. Typically, non-Day One titles are added to Xbox Game Pass between midnight and 11:00 a.m. EDT, and Wicked West was originally announced to release on October 21st rather than the 20th. Granted, it was already October 21st on over half the planet when it debuted, so its arrival is only slightly early.
When is Ninja Gaiden 4 coming to Xbox Game Pass Premium?
As a first release, Ninja Gaiden 4 is limited to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Users who pay for XGP Premium — which replaced XGP Standard on October 1 — can expect it to be added to their subscription library by October 2026, based on what Microsoft said when it last revised its membership tiers. And if the release cadence of the now retired XGP Standard subscription is any indication, Ninja Gaiden 4 can reach XGP Premium as early as April 2026.
In addition to arriving earlier than expected, Wicked West is also unusual for being a recurring title that was barely absent from service. It originally joined Xbox Game Pass in March 2024 and left in mid-March 2025. Seven months between removal and return is a fairly short gap, suggesting Wicked West may have had a strong initial run that convinced Microsoft and/or publisher Focus Entertainment to quickly relicense it. Alternatively or additionally, its return could be aimed at bolstering the range of spooky titles on Xbox Game Pass ahead of Halloween.
New and upcoming Xbox Game Pass games with known release dates
|
Game |
Game Pass Level(s) |
Platform(s) |
Date |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ninja Gaiden 4 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Oct. 21 |
Day one release. |
|
Wicked West |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, console, PC |
Oct. 21 |
Returning title, last available in the period March 2024–March 2025. |
|
Bounty Star |
Ultimate, PC |
PC, Series X/S |
Oct. 23 |
Day one release. |
|
PowerWash Simulator 2 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Oct. 23 |
Day one release. |
|
The Outer Worlds 2 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Oct. 29 |
Day one release. |
|
Football Manager 26 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Nov. 4 |
Day one release. |
|
1000xResist |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Nov. 4 |
Day one (Xbox) release. |
|
Void train |
Ultimate, PC |
PC, Series X/S |
Nov. 7 |
Day one 1.0 release. Cloud version to be confirmed. |
|
Winter Burrow |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, console, PC |
Nov 12 |
Day one release. |
|
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 |
Ultimate, PC |
Console, PC |
Nov 14 |
Day one release. Cloud version to be confirmed. |
|
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC |
Nov 19 |
Day one release. Game preview. The XSX version may come to XGP after early access. |
Three more games are coming to Microsoft's subscription service before the end of October 2025. Bounty Star and PowerWash Simulator 2 are scheduled for the 23rd, while Obsidian's The Outer Worlds 2 will take place on the 29th. That's without taking into account the Wave 2 Xbox Game Pass lineup for this month, which will likely be officially announced later this week, or around October 21st.
- Released
-
21 October 2025
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, intense violence, strong language, suggestive themes
- Publisher
-
Xbox Game Studios
