Xbox Game Pass Ends a 9-Year Genre Drought With New Addition
Before GameRant, Dominik worked as a journalist, editor, and video editor for over half a dozen outlets spanning two continents, covering video games, technology, and entertainment. He has bylines at IGN Adria, SamMobile, Android Headlines, Spilled, HCL, 24sata, and VIDI, among others.
If he was forced to pick a favorite game genre, he'd go with RPGs, but he wasn't, so he didn't.
Xbox Game Pass now offers PBA Pro Bowling 2026, having just added it across multiple tiers. This is the fourth new title to join the service in July 2026, as well as the first-ever dedicated bowling game on Xbox Game Pass.
Bowling video games have a relatively small but dedicated following. Within the sports sim genre, the Professional Bowlers Association has licensed its name to game developers on and off since the early 1980s. Bethesda, for example, released PBA Bowling in 1995. Since 2019, California-based FarSight Studios has developed the PBA Bowling series, which gets annual installments. Although Xbox Game Pass maintains an ever-rotating sports catalog, bowling games eluded the service throughout its first nine years.
Xbox Game Pass Gets Its First Dedicated Bowling Game
That pattern finally ended on July 14, when PBA Pro Bowling 2026 arrived on Xbox Game Pass. Originally released in December 2025, FarSight's latest bowling simulation features more than 30 licensed PBA professionals, including cover athlete Kyle Troup. It also offers an extensive sports career mode in which players can progress from the amateur ranks to top licensed competitions.
FarSight Studios
FarSight Studios
FarSight Studios
FarSight Studios
PBA Pro Bowling 2026 features both online and couch co-op. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play it on the Xbox Series X/S, PC, or via Xbox Cloud Gaming. The bowling sim is the 112th new title to arrive on Microsoft's subscription service in 2026, joining just one day after Ascend to Zero debuted on Xbox Game Pass.
Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Release Dates
Image via Cascade Interactive
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Surgent Studios
| Date | Game | Game Pass Tier(s) | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 14 | PBA Pro Bowling 2026 | Ultimate, Premium, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | |
| Jul 15 | Quarantine Zone: The Last Check | Premium | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Available on higher tiers since Jan 2026. |
| Jul 16 | Mavrix by Matt Jones | Ultimate, Premium, PC | Cloud, Handheld, PC, Series X/S | |
| Jul 17 | Fogpiercer | Ultimate, PC | PC | Day-one release. |
| Jul 17 | FixForce | Ultimate, Premium, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one (Series X/S) release. |
| Jul 21 | The Planet Crafter | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one (Series X/S) release. |
| Jul 21 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 | Ultimate, Premium, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | |
| Jul 28 | Halo: Campaign Evolved | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
| Aug 4 | Beast of Reincarnation | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
| Aug 14 | Grave Seasons | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
| Aug 27 | Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
| Sep 25 | Valor Mortis | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
| Sep 29 | Minecraft Dungeons 2 | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
| Oct 6 | Gears of War: E-Day | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
| Oct 8 | Forever Ago | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
| Feb 18 | Persona 4 Revival | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
| Feb 23 | Fable | Ultimate, PC | Cloud, PC, Series X/S | Day-one release. |
The Xbox Game Pass roadmap for July 2026 continues tomorrow, July 15, when Quarantine Zone: The Last Check expands to the Premium tier after six months of availability only on PC Game Pass and Ultimate. Mavrix by Matt Jones, Fogpiercer, and FixForce will follow in the July 16–17 period.
Microsoft will most likely announce the month's Wave 2 lineup on July 21, based on the announcement cadence from recent months. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 and The Planet Crafter are already confirmed to join the service that day. Before then, Xbox Game Pass will lose a dozen titles on July 15.
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