Xbox Free Play Days Offers 7 Games Including ARC Raiders and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
- Xbox is offering seven games through its latest Free Play Days promotion, according to reports.
- Embark Studios' multiplayer extraction shooter ARC Raiders serves as a primary highlight of the promotional weekend.
- Squanch Games brings High On Life 2 to the free lineup, inviting players back into its comic sci-fi world featuring talking alien weapons.
Xbox is offering seven games through its latest Free Play Days promotion, according to reports. The lineup includes multiplayer titles and survival shooters, with standard Xbox players able to access five of the games without a subscription while two require an active Xbox Game Pass plan.
ARC Raiders Leads Free Play Weekend Alongside Frozen Trail Update
Embark Studios’ multiplayer extraction shooter ARC Raiders serves as a primary highlight of the promotional weekend. The action game tasks players with exploring a dangerous world filled with hostile machines, gathering valuable resources, and competing against other raiders to survive. This free promotional weekend coincides with the release of Frozen Trail, described as the largest content update for the game since its initial launch. The update introduces a new map, additional enemies, unique challenges, and new weapon mods. Players who want to keep playing after the official promotion ends can purchase ARC Raiders at a 50% discount until October 15, 2026.
High On Life 2 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Join the October Lineup
Squanch Games brings High On Life 2 to the free lineup, inviting players back into its comic sci-fi world featuring talking alien weapons. The first-person shooter combines intense gunplay, melee combat, and skating mechanics across a galactic setting. Meanwhile, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl offers a post-apocalyptic survival experience set in a dangerous open world inspired by the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The survival shooter challenges players to manage lethal mutants, hostile scavengers, and unpredictable anomalies while hunting for critical resources. A recent update, version 2.0, brings significant graphics performance upgrades and gameplay changes designed to make exploration and survival more immersive.
Listing of Eligible Games for Free Play Days Promotion
The October Free Play Days promotion encompasses seven titles across multiple genres. Five of the games are open to standard accounts, while two require an eligible Game Pass subscription. The full roster includes:
- ARC Raiders: A multiplayer extraction shooter featuring hostile machines, resource collection, and rival raiders.
- High On Life 2: A comedic sci-fi shooter featuring talking alien weapons, melee combat, and skating.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl: A survival shooter set in a radioactive wasteland.
- Little Nightmares III: A horror puzzle adventure featuring unsettling creatures and challenging environments.
- Rogue Waters: A turn-based pirate roguelite focused on naval combat and crew management.
- Screamer: An arcade racing game combining high-speed competition and combat mechanics, requiring Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential.
- Family Man: A story-driven RPG centered on difficult moral choices and family responsibilities, requiring Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential.
Xbox Free Play Days is a recurring promotion that allows players to sample selected games for a limited time. While certain titles are available without a subscription, others require an active Game Pass tier or offer a limited trial.
Sonic the Hedgehog Collaboration Teases Metal Sonic in Fortnite
Fortnite is expanding its massive collaboration with Sonic the Hedgehog after SEGA officially revealed a new teaser during the Club Chaos livestream on October 10, 2026. The classic robotic villain is set to feature prominently in the live-action movie Sonic the Hedgehog 4, scheduled to open in theaters in 2027, and is also slated to appear in the animated short film Memories and Beyond, which is set to release as part of the 35th-anniversary push in late 2026.