Only two of this weekend's seven Free Play Days titles require Xbox Game Pass. Screamer and Family Man need Essential, Premium, or Ultimate. ARC Raiders plus four timed trials are open to any Xbox account. Xbox Wire posted the Oct 8–11 lineup; Microsoft Store and Embark pages were rechecked Oct 9, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. PT.
Who can play what
| Game | Access | Window | Keep-it sale (US list on Xbox Wire) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screamer | Game Pass Essential, Premium, or Ultimate | Full weekend through Sun Oct 11 | 60% off — $59.99 → $23.99 |
| Family Man | Game Pass Essential, Premium, or Ultimate | Full weekend through Sun Oct 11 | 85% off — $19.99 → $2.99 |
| ARC Raiders | All Xbox members — Game Pass not required | Full weekend through Sun Oct 11 (Xbox FPD) | 50% off through Oct 15 — $39.99 → $19.99 |
| High On Life 2 | All Xbox players | Timed trial (length not stated on Xbox Wire) | $39.99 → $31.99 |
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl | All Xbox players | Timed trial (length not stated on Xbox Wire) | 30% off |
| Little Nightmares III | All Xbox players | Timed trial (length not stated on Xbox Wire) | Sale noted; check Store for regional price |
| Rogue Waters | All Xbox players | Timed trial — 2 hours (Xbox Wire) | 75% off |
Sale percentages and editions can vary by region. Achievements and Gamerscore earned during Free Play Days carry over if you buy afterward, per Xbox Wire.
ARC Raiders ends later on Steam and PlayStation
Xbox's Free Play Days page ends ARC Raiders on Sunday, Oct 11. Embark's own free weekend is longer: Oct 8 at 09:00 UTC through Oct 12 at 08:00 UTC — Monday, Oct 12, at 1:00 a.m. PT — on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation (PS5 in Germany lists a €0.25 fee). If you are on Xbox and watching the Free Play Days countdown, treat Sunday as the cutoff for the console promotion; if you are on Steam or PS5, Embark's Monday morning UTC end is the one that matters.
The free access covers the full game and lines up with Frozen Trail, Embark's biggest update since launch. New free-weekend players can reach the Pendola Pass map immediately when teamed with someone who already unlocked it.
Who this weekend actually helps
- No Game Pass: you still get ARC Raiders for the full Xbox Free Play Days window, plus the four timed trials. Screamer and Family Man will not unlock without Essential, Premium, or Ultimate.
- Essential / Premium / Ultimate: you get all seven offers under the rules above.
- Already own ARC Raiders: the free weekend is mostly for friends; the 50% sale through Oct 15 is the keep-it hook if someone in the group is undecided.
Install from the Free Play Days collection under Subscriptions on console, or from each game's Xbox.com / Microsoft Store page while signed in. Timed trials stop when their clock runs out, even if Sunday has not arrived yet — Xbox Wire only publishes a hard hour count for Rogue Waters, so check the Store listing for the other three before you burn the session.