Xbox Drops Seven Free Games in Bumper Limited Time Event

With Christmas just around the corner, Xbox users are in for some serious gaming sessions thanks to its latest Free Play Days event.

Allowing Xbox Series X/S users the chance to explore some of the console’s biggest hits for absolutely free for a limited time, Xbox’s Free Play Days are always a hit and it seems as though December’s edition will be no different.

Available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members, the following games will be available to play at absolutely no cost for a limited time.

Additionally, if you do decide to purchase the full title after checking out the free trial, they will all be available at a discount.

So if you want to try before you buy, this event is the perfect excuse to do so.

First up is NBA 2K26 which is available both on console and PC from 18 December to 21 December. Released back in September, this is the 27th instalment in the NBA 2K series and offers immersive technology that “directly translates NBA footage into realistic gameplay”.

With multiple modes available, you will be able to play either alone or with friends in competitive or unranked modes.

Also available from 18-21 December is WWE 2K25 and PGA TOUR 2K25.

The wrestling and golf simulation games are both available on console and PC and if you are a sports fan, your run up to Christmas can be spent screaming at the television in style.

Studio Wildcard

Additionally, those who purchase WWE 2K25 between now and 7 January will be rewarded a 15,000 VC Pack to use in-game alongside a $5 Xbox Gift Card.

However, if you are not a sports fan, you can check out ARK: Survival Ascended.

As a remaster of 2017’s ARK: Survival Evolved, this version is now available on Xbox Series X/S, offering players the chance to build their own tribe as they tame and breed hundreds of unique dinosaurs and primeval creatures.

Last but not least out of the Xbox Game Pass additions is The Forgotten City.

“Discover the ruins of a mysterious underground city, travel 2,000 years into the past, and unravel the secrets of its downfall by cleverly exploiting the power to wind back time.

“Explore a world filled with moral choices and intricate mysteries, accompanied by a cast of characters as intriguing as they are unforgettable. The fate of the city is in your hands.”

No Xbox Game Pass Subscription? No Problem

If you are not an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, fear not as the next two titles are completely free for all Xbox users, even without a membership. They are Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – Cross-Gen Bundle and Fallout 76.

As a way to get more players to experience the brand-new Call of Duty: Black Ops entry, Black Ops 7 is included in Xbox’s “Free Play Days For All” bundle, allowing players to dive in from 16-22 December.

“During the Free Trial period, play select BO7 Multiplayer modes and maps including the fan-favorite “Nuketown 2025” remastered with stunning visuals and refined combat flow,” the Xbox blog post reads.

“Plus, enjoy the Zombies experience and try your hand in the thriller “Ashes of the Damned”.

Last but not least, in celebration with CODMAS, take delight in the “Sleighjacked” MP Map, decorated for the gift-giving season, or drop into Holiday Havoc, a festive moshpit combining your favorite modes with holiday cheer.”

Finally, Fallout 76 is also welcoming players into the wasteland for free from now until 23 December. To celebrate the release of Fallout Season 2, players both old and new will be able to check out one of the Bethesda RPGs which inspired the television show.

Play either solo or with friends as you head to a post-apocalyptic Appalachia to fight Super Mutants, Deathclaws, and Raiders alike.