The most hated Call of Duty game gets another chance at life in Xbox Game Pass' second wave of titles for June 2026

A soldier in a brown jacket and beanie aims a rifle amidst battle. Explosions and a plane are in the background, conveying intense action and urgency.
Call of Duty: Vanguard, one of the least liked games in the series, is brought back for Xbox Game Pass. (Image credit: Activision)

Call of Duty fans are in for a surprise this week (for better or worse, depending on your perspective) as Microsoft's next batch of Xbox games for Xbox Game Pass will include Call of Duty: Vanguard, which is considered to be one of the most contentious titles in the franchise.

The second of Xbox Game Pass' June 2026 batch also includes a couple of AAA sports titles like EA Sports FC 26 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, and a few indie titles like RV There Yet and Winds of Arcana: Ruination.

Here is the full list of Xbox Game Pass titles coming and going for the second half of June 2026 (and a little bit of July).

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Games coming soon to Xbox Game Pass for May 2026 (second batch)

Game

Date Available

Available on (Game Pass versions)

Call of Duty: Vanguard

June 17, 2026

Cloud, Console, and PC (Premium, Ultimate and PC Game Pass)

EA Sports FC 26 

June 18, 2026

Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Ultimate and PC Game Pass)

Abyssus

June 25, 2026

Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Premium, Ultimate and PC Game Pass)

RV There Yet?

June 30, 2026

Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Premium, Ultimate and PC Game Pass)

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 

July 2, 2026

Cloud, Console, and PC (Premium, Ultimate and PC Game Pass)

Winds of Arcana: Ruination

July 6, 2026

Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC (Premium, Ultimate and PC Game Pass)

Games leaving Xbox Game Pass (June 30)

  • Mecha Break (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Payday 2 (Console)
  • Rise of Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Slay the Spire (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Ultimate Chicken Horse (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Volcano Princess (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Unpacking (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Windows Central's take

Call of Duty®: Vanguard Multiplayer Trailer - YouTube Call of Duty®: Vanguard Multiplayer Trailer - YouTube
Watch On

Now, why is Call of Duty: Vanguard considered by fans to be one of the worst games in the series? Well, according to 1,500+ negative reviews on Steam, the game was disliked by fans mostly for its mediocre single-player campaign, uninspired multiplayer game modes, and a tidal wave of technical issues that plagued its performance.

My former colleague, Samuel Tolbert, gave Call of Duty: Vanguard a low 3/5-star review, for the reasons I stated above, while saying that "For the absolute hardcore that need a new annual Call of Duty experience, Vanguard will satisfy those needs. For everyone else, you'll want to consider passing."

Yet despite that, this is probably the best time to try the game if you're a hardcore Call of Duty fan, as thanks to Xbox Game Pass, you won't buy it to play it, and most of the prevalent bugs have probably been fixed by now.

Other than that, I'm not personally feeling any excitement for this batch of Xbox Game Pass games.

Call of Duty: Vanguard
Standard Edition
Call of Duty: Vanguard: $59.99 at xbox.com


Charge through enemy lines in the scorching lands of North Africa, engage in cinematic dogfights over the Pacific Ocean, and defend Stalingrad during the gruelling days of WWII in Call of Duty: Vanguard.

Xbox Store Link
Steam Store Link

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - Action Trailer - YouTube Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - Action Trailer - YouTube
Watch On

However, if you need a cool game to play that was recently added to the service outside of the usual Xbox Game Pass batches from Microsoft, I highly recommend checking out Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.

It's a fantastic Soulslike action-RPG where you travel through a dark fantasy interpretation of the Three Kingdoms-Era China and do battle with legendary heroes from that era and horrific giant demons.

Its combat system is fast-paced and in-depth; it offers a mountain of playstyles and gear for your character to experiment with, the enemies are tough but satisfying to fight, and it has one of the most intuitive multiplayer systems I've ever seen in a Soulslike.

With its sequel Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember on the horizon, now's the best time to play Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty so you can catch up on the series' story and enjoy its riveting gameplay for free with Xbox Game Pass.

If you need further convincing to try the game out, check out my buddy Brendan Lowry's review, where he gave Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty 4.5/5 Stars.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Soar through darkness, Dragon
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty: $39.99 at xbox.com


Rise from the icy grip of death and embark on a crusade to save the land of the Three Kingdoms from being overrun by demons in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, created by the team behind the critically-acclaimed Nioh series.

Xbox Store Link
Steam Store Link

🗨️ Over to you

What do you think of June's second batch of Xbox Game Pass titles? Do you dislike Call of Duty: Vanguard, or do you think it's overhated by fans?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know in the comments, on Reddit, or in the poll below.


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Alexander Cope
Staff Writer - Deals/Gaming News

Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran with over 35 years of experience who primarily covers Xbox and PC gaming news and spotlights discounts on the best laptops, peripherals, and other electronics. He's also a diehard fan of JRPGs, action games, beat em’ ups, and Capcom’s Monster Hunter series

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