Free Play Days: How to Access Xbox Games and Trials (October 8–11, 2026)

Search for your chosen game in the Xbox Store and select Free Trial, or the Game Pass installation option where applicable. The promotion runs from Thursday, October 8 through Sunday, October 11, 2026. Installing a game during that window gives you temporary access, not permanent ownership.

October 8-11 lineup: access requirements and discounts

The seven games fall into three groups: full-weekend access for all Xbox members, weekend access requiring Game Pass, and limited timed trials. Here is the eligibility and purchase discount for each title.

ARC Raiders has no limited-hours trial allowance during the event. You can access the full game throughout the promotional window. The four timed trials have a separate restriction: their access can end when the allowance is exhausted, even before October 11.

How to install the right offer

Use the individual game’s Xbox Store page or browse the Free Play Days collection to find the promotion. Participating games can also be found through Xbox.com or the Microsoft Store. Choose the trial or eligible Game Pass installation offer rather than purchasing simply to start playing.

For Screamer and Family Man, check that the account you are using has Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate. An Xbox account alone does not qualify for those two offers. ARC Raiders and the four timed trials do not require those subscriptions.

Check the supported platform on each listing before downloading. Do not assume every title in the promotion has access on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, or that a discount shown in one platform store applies elsewhere.

For a timed trial, read the allowance displayed with the offer before launching. Plan around that limit as well as the event deadline. Use the expiry time shown in your local Xbox Store rather than assuming every region loses access at midnight on October 11.

What to play before the weekend closes

Without Game Pass, start with ARC Raiders. It gives you the broadest access in this lineup: the full game for the weekend, with no subscription requirement or limited-hours allowance. If you already want to evaluate one of the timed-trial games for a purchase, prioritize that session instead; its allowance is the tighter constraint.

With an eligible Game Pass plan, install Screamer and Family Man early. Their promotional access closes with the weekend, so leave room to try them before spending your available playtime on the four limited trials.

Family Man is a story-led RPG built around earning money for food and making morality-driven decisions. Its 85% discount is the largest percentage reduction in this lineup, making the included weekend access useful for deciding whether its choices and everyday pressures suit you before buying.

For High On Life 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Little Nightmares III and Rogue Waters, focus on the game you are most likely to purchase. Each has a limited allowance, so use that time to judge whether you want to continue rather than treating the offer as unrestricted weekend access.

Discount deadlines and keeping your progress

ARC Raiders costs $19.99 for the U.S. base game during its 50% sale, down from $39.99. The base game, Deluxe Edition and Deluxe upgrade remain discounted through October 15, four days after the Free Play Days window ends.

The other purchase discounts are listed in the table above. Check the price, edition and sale expiry on the relevant store page before paying: prices and discounts can vary by country, edition and platform store. Do not apply ARC Raiders’ October 15 deadline to the rest of the lineup.

Purchasing a participating game lets you continue with your progress after promotional access ends. Finish your testing before the weekend closes — or before a timed trial runs out — then decide whether the discounted purchase is worthwhile.

Treat October 11 as the free-play deadline and October 15 as ARC Raiders’ sale deadline. The extra sale days give you time to decide after playing; they do not extend its free access.