On November 3, 2026, Xbox Wire announced the first wave of November’s Xbox Game Pass additions, led by Football Manager 27 and Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School, both day-one additions for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members.
The short answer for subscribers: both games arrive day one for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members: Football Manager 27 on PC from November 3 (console edition November 10) and Escape Academy 2 on November 5. Game Pass Premium isn’t listed for either headliner, so Premium members would need to upgrade or buy.
This is also only the first half of the month. Xbox labels the post “Wave 1.”
Xbox Game Pass November 2026 Additions: What Happened
The announcement came in an Xbox Wire post published November 3, 2026, titled “Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School, Thronefall, Warhammer Survivors, and More.” Megan Spurr, Senior Community Lead for Xbox Game Pass, wrote it. Xbox News Japan republished the same post on November 4, 2026. Windows Central and Thurrott confirmed the dates and title list.
This is Wave 1, not the full November list
The headline above says “November 2026 Game Pass additions.” Xbox’s own URL and post call this Wave 1. It covers additions from November 3 through November 17. We hadn’t seen a second November wave announced when we checked on November 4, 2026, and Xbox usually announces more games for the back half of the month. Don’t treat this list as the complete November catalog.
The day-by-day schedule
Here’s every date, platform, and tier in the Xbox Wire Wave 1 list, as published November 3 and reproduced by Windows Central.
| Date | Game | Platforms | Game Pass tiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 3 | Football Manager 27 (PC) | PC | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 3 | Pit of Goblin | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 4 | Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, PC | Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 4 | VOID/BREAKER | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 5 | Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, PC | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 5 | Firefighting Simulator: Ignite | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 5 | MySims Cozy Bundle | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 10 | Football Manager 2027 Console | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 10 | Warhammer Survivors | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, PC | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 10 | Tanuki: Pon’s Summer | Cloud, console, PC | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 11 | Hope in the City | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 11 | Thronefall | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 12 | John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 17 | Aphelion | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, PC | Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Nov 17 | PAW Patrol: Dino World | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, PC | Premium, Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
Who this affects
- Game Pass Ultimate members get every title in the table labeled Ultimate, on the platforms listed for it.
- Game Pass Premium members get Pit of Goblin, Vampire Crawlers, VOID/BREAKER, Firefighting Simulator: Ignite, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, Aphelion, and PAW Patrol: Dino World. Football Manager 27 and Escape Academy 2 aren’t listed for Premium.
- PC Game Pass members get every title labeled PC, including Football Manager 27 and Escape Academy 2.
We don’t quote subscription prices here. None of the retrieved Xbox sources list current prices for Ultimate, Premium, or PC Game Pass. Check xbox.com for today’s pricing in your region.
What Xbox says about the two headliners
Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School arrives November 5. Xbox calls it “the first open world escape room game.” It supports online and local two-player co-op. Local co-op on one console needs a controller for each player, so you may need a second Xbox Wireless Controller, and online multiplayer on console needs a Game Pass plan that includes online play. It’s on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one, across Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, and PC.
Football Manager 27 comes as two editions. Football Manager 27 (PC) joined Game Pass on November 3, and Football Manager 2027 Console, as Xbox Wire names it, follows on November 10 for Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Xbox frames the game as a day-one Game Pass title with “evolved foundations” for control and discovery. The Wave 1 post itself gives no further detail. The Xbox Wire Football Manager 27 tag page collects official posts about the game as they appear.
Is Football Manager 2027 Console the same as the PC version?
The official sources treat them as two separate editions with separate release dates. Beyond that, the retrieved Xbox posts don’t explain how the two differ in features, menus, or controls. If you play on Xbox Series X|S or Cloud, the date you care about is November 10. Wait for official notes before assuming feature parity with the PC version.
How It Stacks Up
This is where we’d normally compare the headliners against rival releases, earlier series entries, and the PlayStation 5 or Switch 2 versions. As of November 4, 2026, our research found no review scores, frame-rate data, or feature comparisons to Football Manager 26 or the original Escape Academy for either title.
We didn’t verify other-platform versions for either game in an official source, so we’re not comparing them here.
What we can compare is how this wave is built:
| Factor | Football Manager 27 | Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School |
|---|---|---|
| Game Pass date | Nov 3 (PC edition), Nov 10 (Console edition) | Nov 5 |
| Day one on Game Pass | Yes | Yes |
| Tiers listed | Ultimate, PC Game Pass | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Premium tier | Not listed | Not listed |
| Platforms named by Xbox | Xbox Series X|S, PC, Cloud | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, PC |
| Co-op | Not stated in sources | Online and local two-player |
| Verified standalone price | None found | $19.99 (standard edition, per Xbox Store) |
Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School lists its standard edition at $19.99 on the US Xbox Store, and a Deluxe Edition is listed there too; check the Store for its current price and contents. We found no standalone price for Football Manager 27.
The other notable item is VOID/BREAKER, which joins Game Pass on November 4 for Premium, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass members. If you skipped it during early access, the full release is the version to try.
The Reaction
Meaningful public reaction to this wave wasn’t available at the time of our research. Xbox Wire’s post published November 3, 2026, and as of November 4, 2026, we found no reviews, no identifiable social media posts with authors, timestamps, or links discussing the titles, and no Hacker News or Reddit threads addressing Football Manager 27 or Escape Academy 2 specifically.
Treat this as early days. Opinions on both games will likely take shape once players get hands-on time after release.
Our Take
Verdict: Play it on Game Pass. Don’t buy either game yet.
For Ultimate and PC Game Pass members, the evidence points one way. Football Manager 27 and Escape Academy 2 are both day-one titles on those two tiers. Escape Academy 2 has a confirmed $19.99 standard price, but Football Manager 27 doesn’t, and neither has review scores or comparison data yet. Paying full price now means paying for a game you can already play through your plan, often without the review context that would justify buying outright.
How that plays out by setup:
- On Ultimate or PC Game Pass: Play both through the subscription. Buy only if you want to keep the game long term, and wait for reviews and a sale before you do.
- On Game Pass Premium: Neither headliner is listed for your tier. If you want them through Game Pass, you’d need Game Pass Ultimate (console) or PC Game Pass (PC). Otherwise, wait for verified prices and reviews before buying outright.
- Football Manager fans on console: Hold off until November 10. The November 3 release is the PC edition.
- No subscription: Wait for reviews before buying, especially for Football Manager 27, where we found no confirmed price.
What to do next
Check your tier before release day. In the Xbox app on Windows or the Store on your Xbox Series X|S, search for “Escape Academy 2” or “Football Manager 2027 Console.” Look for the Game Pass label on the listing. If it says your plan includes the game, install it from there on release day. If it doesn’t, your tier isn’t covered, and the table above shows which tier is.
Wrapping Up
November’s first Game Pass wave gives Ultimate and PC Game Pass members Football Manager 27 and Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School on day one, with Wave 1 drops running from November 3 to November 17. Keep an eye on Xbox Wire for Wave 2.
| Step | Action | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check the Wave 1 table for your game’s date | All subscribers |
| 2 | Confirm your tier covers the game on its Store listing | Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass |
| 3 | Wait until Nov 10 for Football Manager 2027 Console | Football Manager players on Xbox Series X|S and Cloud |
| 4 | Hold off buying until prices and reviews are verified | Non-subscribers and Premium members |
| 5 | Watch Xbox Wire for the second November wave | All subscribers |