Four Games Free This Weekend on Xbox: College Football 27, The Survivalists, and More

Xbox is opening up four games for free play this weekend, September 3-6, 2026, giving players a chance to sample everything from survival adventures to narrative-driven underwater exploration without spending a dime.

What’s Available and Who Can Play

EA Sports College Football 27 is the marquee title, available free to all Xbox members from September 3 through September 6 with no Game Pass subscription required. The Survivalists is open to Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members during the same window. Two additional titles—The Lonesome Guild and Under the Waves—are also available to all Xbox members as two-hour timed trials.

Downloading is straightforward: head to Xbox.com to install through the Microsoft Store (you’ll need to be signed in to see Game Pass options), or navigate to the Subscriptions tab and Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S console.

What Each Game Brings

EA Sports College Football 27, optimized for Xbox Series X|S, puts you in charge of building and managing a college football program. The game emphasizes Dynasty Blueprint customization, expanded position options in Road to Glory mode, and Mascot Mashup, where you can play as your favorite college mascots while experiencing game day traditions and pageantry.

The Survivalists is a procedurally generated survival adventure where you explore an ever-changing island with day/night cycles, hunt animals, face mythical enemies, and accept quests from a Mysterious Stranger. Each playthrough is unique thanks to its procedural generation across various biomes.

The Lonesome Guild, optimized for Xbox Series X|S and available through Play Anywhere, follows a spirit named Ghost who awakens without memories and must recruit unlikely heroes to restore balance in the enchanted world of Etere. It combines relationship-building with fast combat and exploration across hand-painted regions.

Under the Waves is a narrative-focused adventure set in a techno-futuristic 1970s North Sea. Players control Stan, a professional diver confronting grief and loss while exploring a gorgeous underwater world through cinematic visuals and poignant storytelling.

Why These Games Matter

Free Play Days remains one of Xbox’s smartest community programs, removing the friction of trying new games before committing money. For sports fans, College Football 27 represents the franchise’s return after a 10-year hiatus, making this weekend crucial for curious players to test whether the revival lives up to the hype. The Survivalists appeals to players who love procedural generation and exploration, while The Lonesome Guild and Under the Waves target story-driven audiences seeking artistic, character-focused experiences.

If you decide to buy after the weekend, purchase discounts apply across all four titles—Under the Waves notably drops to $4.49 (85% off) through September 6. Game Pass members who play The Survivalists can keep their Gamerscore and achievements if they eventually purchase the full game.

What Happens Next

Watch for whether Free Play Days continues to rotate new titles in the coming weeks. Expect these four games to return to their regular pricing after the promotional window closes.