Xbox Free Play Days: Anno 117 and Crime Boss Lead 8 Free Weekend Games From November 5 to 8
The first weekend of November brings one of the largest lineups of the season for Xbox console owners. In an official announcement on Xbox Wire, Microsoft unveiled 8 games featured in this week's Free Play Days event, running right now through Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Best of all, two major headliners, Anno 117: Pax Romana and Crime Boss: Rockay City, are unlocked for every Xbox player to try all weekend long with no Xbox Game Pass membership required.
All 8 Xbox Free Play Days Games (November 5 to 8, 2026)
Landing alongside Microsoft's newly curated November 2026 Xbox Indie Selects showcase, this weekend's Free Play Days selection spans three access categories. Here is the full breakdown of all 8 games, subscription requirements, and limited-time Microsoft Store discounts if you decide to keep playing with your saved progress and achievements:
| Game | Genre / Publisher | Access Requirement | End Date & Store Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anno 117: Pax Romana | Strategic city-builder (Ubisoft) | Free for all (No Game Pass needed) | Nov 8 (Gold Edition 40% off) |
| Crime Boss: Rockay City | Co-op heist FPS (505 Games) | Free for all (No Game Pass needed) | Nov 8 (Full weekend access) |
| PAYDAY 3 | Co-op heist FPS (Starbreeze) | Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential | Nov 8 (Base game 35% off) |
| Age of Wonders 4 | 4X fantasy strategy (Paradox) | Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential | Nov 8 (Full weekend access) |
| BALL x PIT | Brick-breaking roguelite (Devolver) | Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential | Nov 8 (Full game 50% off) |
| Deceive Inc. | Social stealth multiplayer (Tripwire) | Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential | Nov 8 (Full game 90% off) |
| Nowhere Prophet | Tactical deck-builder (Console & PC) | Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential | Nov 8 (Full game 70% off) |
| IXION | Space survival city-builder (Kasedo) | Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, or Essential | Nov 8 (2-hour timed trial) |
A Co-Op Heist Showdown, Roman Empire Building, and Indie Gems
The most entertaining quirk of this weekend's lineup is the head-to-head clash between two four-player co-op heist shooters. On one side, Crime Boss: Rockay City is open to every Xbox user without a subscription, letting solo players and squads wage turf wars across 1990s Florida through story-driven Urban Legends mini-campaigns or randomized Shuffle heists. On the other side, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential subscribers can mask up in Starbreeze's PAYDAY 3 to hit Manhattan vaults via stealth or all-out firefights, with the base game discounted by 35% through November 18.
Strategy and roguelite fans have plenty to sink their teeth into as well. Available to all Xbox members with no Game Pass tier required, Ubisoft's Anno 117: Pax Romana lets you govern Roman provinces through trade, diplomacy, or legionary force, while its Gold Edition is marked down by 40% (bundling three expansions, including the recent Dawn of the Delta DLC set in Aegyptus). Meanwhile, Game Pass members looking to fill the void left by late October's wave of Xbox Game Pass departures can dive into Paradox's deep 4X strategy hit Age of Wonders 4, test survival aboard the Tiqqun space station in a two-hour trial of IXION, or try Devolver Digital's brick-breaking roguelite BALL x PIT alongside its free Naturalist update.
To start downloading any of these titles on Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, head over to the official Xbox Free Play Days hub or browse the Subscriptions tab on your console's Microsoft Store. All Gamerscore and achievements unlocked before Sunday night will carry over seamlessly if you purchase the full version.
My Perspective: Anno 117 Without a Subscription and BALL x PIT Steal the Show
Putting PAYDAY 3 and Crime Boss: Rockay City in the same weekend lineup feels like an unintentional heist shootout, especially with Crime Boss dropping the Game Pass paywall altogether. Still, if I had to pick just two downloads to clear my weekend schedule for, I would go straight for Anno 117: Pax Romana and BALL x PIT. Getting four full days to build Roman provinces without needing an active Game Pass subscription is a rare treat, and Devolver's BALL x PIT has the exact kind of ricochet-heavy roguelite loop that turns a quick twenty-minute test into a three-hour obsession.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles "Grimtag" is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
