As we prepare to ring in the new year, the Xbox Game Pass library is undergoing its final seasonal spring clean.
While Microsoft is currently keeping its cards close to its chest regarding the first wave of January 2026 arrivals, the Leaving Soon section has confirmed that we are losing two heavy hitters as the clock strikes midnight.
Prepare yourself for the final Game Pass changes of 2025, as Hell Let Loose and Carrion are both scheduled to depart on December 31st, making this your final opportunity to experience a tactical military epic or a pixelated rampage before the calendar flips.
Hell Let Loose (Cloud, Console, and PC)
If you are looking for a visceral, high-stakes military experience to close out the year, Hell Let Loose is an absolute essential.
This is not your typical run and gun shooter; it is a tactical, squad-based 50v50 simulation that demands communication and strategy.
Set across the iconic battlefields of the Eastern and Western Fronts, you’ll find yourself fighting through meticulously recreated environments like Omaha Beach and Stalingrad.
Our 4/5 review highlighted its brutal brilliance: “It’s a great bit of warfare and one I know I’ll be keeping installed for a long time to come. Teamwork is essential and death comes quickly in huge maps.“
Hell Let Loose is leaving the service on December 31st. You’ll currently find it available across Cloud, Console, and PC. Download it from the Xbox Store.
Carrion (Cloud, Console, and PC)
On the complete opposite end of the genre spectrum, Carrion offers a unique reverse horror experience where you finally get to play as the monster.
You assume the role of an amorphous, tentacled creature of unknown origin, stalking and consuming those who imprisoned you. As you grow and evolve, you acquire increasingly devastating abilities to tear down the facility. It is a short, punchy, and highly satisfying Metroidvania that doesn’t outstay its welcome.
As we noted in our review of Carrion: “The combat is nicely weighted and the stealth elements are light… it’s a short, punchy game that doesn’t outstay its welcome or become repetitive.”
It’s the perfect game to beat in a single sitting before the new year arrives.
Again, Carrion is available through the Xbox Store and will be found leaving the service on December 31st. If you want to play it prior to it leaving, you’ll discover it available across Cloud, Console, and PC.
New Year’s Eve Game Pass Summary
- Hell Let Loose: Large-scale, tactical 50v50 WWII combat.
- Carrion: Reverse-horror Metroidvania where you play as the monster.
Looking Ahead to January 2026
While we bid a fond farewell to the trenches and the tentacles, the room is being made for a stacked January. We are already looking forward to the arrival of the mesmerising Metroidvania MIO: Memories in Orbit.
Make sure you secure those final achievements in Hell Let Loose or finish your path of retribution in Carrion before the celebrations begin. Happy New Year!
