Ninja Gaiden 4 and Evil West are now playable via Xbox Game Pass. These are the 59th and 60th new additions to the PC and Ultimate tiers of Microsoft's subscription service in October 2025, with Evil West being unusual in that it arrived on Xbox Game Pass a bit earlier than initially announced.
Ninja Gaiden 4 was a confirmed day-one Xbox Game Pass release from the moment Team Ninja and PlatinumGames revealed it in January 2025. Published by Xbox Game Studios, the latest installment in the hardcore action franchise locked down an October 21 release date back in June.
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Ninja Gaiden 4 Lands on Xbox Game Pass as Planned, Evil West Is Here Early
As is often the case with global AAA launches, Ninja Gaiden 4 became available in the United States a few hours ahead of its official debut date, at 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT on October 20. That's also when it rolled out to eligible Xbox Game Pass subscribers the world over. In a more unexpected turn of events, Flying Wild Hog's sci-fi western Evil West reached Microsoft's subscription service at the exact same time. Typically, non-day-one titles are added to Xbox Game Pass between midnight and 11am EDT, and Evil West was originally announced to be dropping on October 21 rather than 20. Granted, it was already October 21 on over half the planet by the time it debuted, so its arrival is only slightly early.
When Will Ninja Gaiden 4 Come to Xbox Game Pass Premium?
As a day-one release, Ninja Gaiden 4 is limited to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Users paying for XGP Premium—which replaced XGP Standard on October 1—can expect to see it added to their subscription library no later than October 2026, based on what Microsoft said when it last revamped its membership tiers. And if the release cadence of the now-retired XGP Standard subscription is any indication, Ninja Gaiden 4 could reach XGP Premium as early as April 2026.
Apart from arriving earlier than expected, Evil West is also unusual for being a returning title that was barely absent from the service. It originally joined Xbox Game Pass in March 2024 and left in mid-March 2025. Seven months between removal and return is a fairly short gap, suggesting Evil West may have had a strong initial run that convinced Microsoft and/or publisher Focus Entertainment to quickly re-license it. Alternatively or additionally, its return may be aimed at strengthening the lineup of spooky titles on Xbox Game Pass ahead of Halloween.
New and Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Games With Known Release Dates
|
Game |
Game Pass Tier(s) |
Platform(s) |
Date |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ninja Gaiden 4 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Oct 21 |
Day-one release. |
|
Evil West |
Ultimate, Premium, PC |
Cloud, Console, PC |
Oct 21 |
Returning title, last available in the Mar 2024–Mar 2025 period. |
|
Bounty Star |
Ultimate, PC |
PC, Series X/S |
Oct 23 |
Day-one release. |
|
PowerWash Simulator 2 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Oct 23 |
Day-one release. |
|
The Outer Worlds 2 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Oct 29 |
Day-one release. |
|
Football Manager 26 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Nov 4 |
Day-one release. |
|
1000xResist |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Nov 4 |
Day-one (Xbox) release. |
|
Voidtrain |
Ultimate, PC |
PC, Series X/S |
Nov 7 |
Day-one 1.0 release. Cloud version to be confirmed. |
|
Winter Burrow |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, Console, PC |
Nov 12 |
Day-one release. |
|
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 |
Ultimate, PC |
Console, PC |
Nov 14 |
Day-one release. Cloud version to be confirmed. |
|
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC |
Nov 19 |
Day-one release. Game Preview. XSX version possibly coming to XGP after early access. |
Three more games are coming to Microsoft's subscription service before the end of October 2025. Bounty Star and PowerWash Simulator 2 are scheduled for the 23rd, while Obsidian's The Outer Worlds 2 will materialize on the 29th. That's without accounting for the Wave 2 Xbox Game Pass lineup for this month, which is likely to be officially announced later this week, on or around October 21.
Ninja Gaiden 4
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- October 21, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games, Team Ninja, Koei Tecmo Games Co., Ltd.
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
