Xbox Game Pass subscribers are sitting on a genuinely strong lineup this weekend, with several high-profile titles landing on the service as early as May 11. Before the new wave hits, here are the games worth firing up right now, plus a few to queue up for the days ahead. Check out our gaming guides for tips on getting the most out of these titles.
The headliner: Subnautica 2 enters Game Preview on May 14
Subnautica 2 is the obvious anchor of this week's lineup. Developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, it drops into Game Preview on May 14 with full 4-player co-op support, base building, and crafting set on an entirely new alien ocean world. The original Subnautica built a devoted following by making underwater survival feel genuinely tense and mysterious, and this sequel looks to push that formula further with the added wrinkle of cooperative play.
Here's the thing: Game Preview means it's not a finished product, so expect some rough edges. That said, the original launched in Game Preview too, and players logged hundreds of hours before it ever hit full release. If you have friends who have been waiting for a co-op survival game to sink into, this weekend is a good time to start planning.
Subnautica 2 is an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so one purchase covers both Xbox Series X|S and PC via Game Pass.
Directive 8020 brings cinematic horror to the service
Supermassive Games, the studio behind Until Dawn and The Quarry, releases Directive 8020 on May 12. This one is not included in Game Pass at launch, priced at $49.99, but it is the most narratively ambitious game hitting Xbox this week. Set aboard a colony ship called the Cassiopeia crash-landing on Tau Ceti f, the game runs with Supermassive's signature branching storyline format where every decision can cost a crew member their life.
What most players miss with Supermassive's games is how well they work as couch co-op experiences, passing the controller between choices. Directive 8020 looks built for exactly that.
Outbound is the cozy wildcard
Launching May 11 on Game Pass, Outbound from Square Glade Games is a cozy open-world exploration game where you build a mobile home on wheels and live off-grid with up to 4 players. Grow crops, source energy from solar, wind, or water, and craft your way through a colorful utopian near-future world.
The key here is the vehicle customization. Your camper van is not just transport, it is your base, your workshop, and your home. It is a different vibe entirely from Subnautica 2, and that is exactly why it belongs on this list.
Black Jacket and Call of the Elder Gods round out May 12
Two more Game Pass titles land on May 12. Black Jacket from Skystone Games is a Blackjack-inspired roguelite deck builder where you gamble your way out of hell, building impossible combos and supercharging your deck with each run. It is a genuinely weird concept that sounds like it could be quietly excellent.
Call of the Elder Gods, published by Kwalee, takes a Lovecraftian angle, following Professor Harry Everhart and student Evangeline Drayton as they uncover something ancient beneath Miskatonic University. If you enjoyed Alone in the Dark or any of the recent Cthulhu Mythos games, this one is worth a look.
The rest of the week is packed with smaller surprises
Beyond the headliners, the May 11 to 15 window includes Backrooms from Puppet Combo on May 14, a horror adventure built around the liminal space internet phenomenon that follows a man named Terrence across 7 days in the Backrooms. Yomi 2 from Sirlin Games also arrives May 13, bringing its card-based fighting game to Xbox with a design philosophy that explicitly tries to capture the feel of Street Fighter through hand management and combo building.
For something lighter, Pawbay on May 15 lets you play as a mischievous cat causing chaos across a seaside town in local 2-player split-screen. It is exactly the kind of low-stakes fun that fills a Sunday afternoon.
For deeper breakdowns of the standout titles, our game reviews section will have full coverage as these land throughout the week.
