Xbox Game Pass loses 5 games today

Xbox Game Pass losing five titles later today, January 15th. The departures include one of the highest rated games in 2022, Neon whitewhich has been part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog since 2024.

Neon white is an action platformer designed around speed running. It is named after one of the Neons, sinners plucked from the depths of Hell and offered a chance at redemption if they kill enough demons. As they run through the levels, they collect soul cards that can be used to attack or thrown in exchange for one-time movement options, such as a grappling hook, dash, or jump. Developer Angel Matrix does a lot with this simple premise, offering a variety of increasingly complex levels that challenge players to complete them as quickly as possible. The premise resonated with many reviewers, as underlined by Neon white89 average rating on OpenCritic, making it one of the highest rated games of 2022.

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Neon White and 4 other titles are leaving Xbox Game Pass today

The critically acclaimed action platformer will now leave Xbox Game Pass later today, January 15th. It is scheduled to depart in about 18 months, having started with the service in July 2024. Xbox Game Pass departures in mid-January 2026 include four other titles: Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, Road 96, The ascentand The Grinch: A Christmas Adventure.

All Xbox Game Pass games will expire on January 15, 2026

The Grinch: A Christmas Adventure was only added to Xbox Game Pass in October 2025. While a three-month stint on the service is well below average, it's not unheard of for seasonal or family-friendly titles, with this Casual Brothers-developed platformer checking both of those boxes. The second-shortest stint among the titles that departs on January 15 belongs to The ascenta cyberpunk action RPG from developer Neon Giant. Famed for its compelling co-op and atmospheric world, the 2021 version has been part of the Xbox Game Pass library for just six months, having joined the service in July 2025.

After Neon whitethe second highest rated game among today's departures is Road 96. The first-person adventure developed by Digixart tasks players with a procedurally generated road trip through an authoritarian nation, where their choices affect the fates of many characters and potentially the world itself. Route 96 was among the first titles to be added to Xbox Game Pass 2025, having just celebrated its first year on the service on January 7. Together with The Grinch: A Christmas Adventureit's the shortest title from today's departure wave, though it's still not short enough to be easy to beat in a single day, with crowdsourced data suggesting a typical playthrough lasts around eight hours.

Xbox Game Pass lost as many titles as it added in the first half of January 2026

Earlier today, Xbox Game Pass was added My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery to its content catalog, marking its fifth arrival this month. The upcoming departures will thus offset any net gains the service has made since the start of January 2026. Whether the month will ultimately result in a net addition to the XGP catalog should become clearer in the coming days. The January 31st Xbox Game Pass removals are expected to be formally confirmed around January 20th, as part of Microsoft's Wave 2 program for the month. Some of them can be revealed in advance via the Xbox app, which often signals early departures, although it hasn't always been completely reliable, sometimes showing premature or otherwise incorrect removal messages.

Released

June 16, 2022

ESRB

T for teens due to fantasy violence, language, mild gore, mild suggestive themes, tobacco use

Developer

Angel matrix