Xbox Game Pass gives players plenty of reasons to keep subscribing, with Microsoft’s gaming service providing access to an enormous library of titles spanning multiple console generations. One of its biggest selling points is its Day One releases, which lets members jump into major new games the moment they launch without paying full retail price.
Beyond its Day One lineup, however, Xbox Game Pass regularly introduces new titles through monthly additions, while Xbox’s Free Play Days promotions give eligible subscribers opportunities to try even more games for a limited time. The service also boasts an impressive catalog of classics, including beloved games that originally launched decades ago but remain just as entertaining today.
Now, Game Pass subscribers have access to two particularly exciting releases from the Nintendo 64 era. Both games have earned perfect 10/10 review scores, cementing their reputations as some of the greatest games ever made, and both are available to download at no additional cost with an eligible subscription.
Xbox Game Pass subscribers are getting a major dose of nostalgia this November, with Microsoft officially confirming that Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie will be available through Xbox Game Pass Essential beginning November 15, 2026. Both games will be playable on Xbox consoles and through cloud gaming, giving subscribers access to two of the most beloved platformers from the Nintendo 64 era at no additional cost.
Originally released in 1998, Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie introduced players to the titular bear-and-bird duo as they embarked on a colorful adventure to rescue Banjo’s sister, Tooty, from the evil witch Gruntilda. The game quickly established itself as one of the N64’s defining releases.
Its 2000 sequel, Banjo-Tooie, expanded on virtually everything that made the original successful, introducing larger environments, new abilities, more ambitious puzzles, and even more collectibles. Both games are regularly celebrated as masterpieces of the 3D platforming genre, with Banjo-Kazooie earning a perfect 10/10 review score from Nintendo Life. Banjo-Tooie has also received perfect 10/10 scores from enthusiastic fan reviewers, although Nintendo Life decided to give the sequel a 9/10.
Fortunately, the Banjo games aren’t the only classics coming to Xbox Game Pass Essential on November 15. Microsoft has confirmed eight additions to the subscription tier:
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Banjo-Tooie
- Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
- Gears of War: Judgment
- Halo: Spartan Assault
- Perfect Dark
- Viva Piñata
- Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
While these games have already been available through higher Game Pass subscription tiers, their arrival on Essential will be exciting for subscribers using Microsoft’s more affordable membership option.
Elsewhere, November’s first wave of Game Pass additions includes several major releases, including Vampire Crawlers and Void/Breaker on November 4, Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School and MySims Cozy Bundle on November 5, and Warhammer Survivors on November 10. Thronefall arrives November 11, followed by John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando on November 12.
With so many new and classic games joining the service, November is shaping up to be a good month for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, particularly those looking to revisit some of Rare’s biggest hits.
- Number of Devices Concurrently
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Standard subscription plan allows two accounts playing at once, with four accounts playing at once on Friends & Family plan
- Highest Resolution
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1440p streaming
- Number of Accounts
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~35 million subscribers
- Compatibility
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Xbox Series X|S, PC, ROG Xbox Ally, Android, iOS, Samsung & LG TVs, Meta Quest, Web Browser
