Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark join Game Pass Essential
Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, both Viva Piñata games and more join Xbox Game Pass Essential on November 15 for Xbox's 25th birthday. Here's the full list.
08th Nov 2026 16:45
Image via Xbox Game Studios
Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark join Game Pass Essential
Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, both Viva Piñata games and more join Xbox Game Pass Essential on November 15 for Xbox's 25th birthday. Here's the full list.
08th Nov 2026 16:45
Image via Xbox Game Studios
Xbox's 25th birthday is now a week away, and it's bringing a proper Rare-flavoured present for anyone on the cheapest Game Pass tier, as Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark and both Viva Piñata games join Game Pass Essential on Sunday, November 15.
Microsoft confirmed the eight-game drop in its November Game Pass round-up on Xbox Wire, and with the original Xbox having launched in North America on November 15, 2001, the date is no coincidence (we had to wait until March 2002 over here, but we're not ones to hold a grudge).
Every game joining Game Pass Essential on November 15
Here's the full list as Xbox has announced it, along with when each game first came out and where you'll be able to play it through Game Pass Essential.
| Game | First released | Where you can play it |
| Banjo-Kazooie | 1998 (N64) | Console, cloud |
| Banjo-Tooie | 2000 (N64) | Console, cloud |
| Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts | 2008 (Xbox 360) | Console, cloud |
| Gears of War: Judgment | 2013 (Xbox 360) | Console, cloud |
| Halo: Spartan Assault | 2013 | Console, PC, cloud |
| Perfect Dark | 2000 (N64) | Console, cloud |
| Viva Piñata | 2006 (Xbox 360) | Console, cloud |
| Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise | 2008 (Xbox 360) | Console, cloud |
The Banjo games and Perfect Dark come from Rare's N64 heyday, while the two Viva Piñata games are the Xbox 360 garden sims that turned a lot of us into fiercely protective piñata farmers, and if you need convincing on the bear and bird front, we've already made the case that you need to play Banjo-Tooie again. Halo: Spartan Assault is the odd one out as the only game on the list that's also coming to PC, so it's the one to note if you play Game Pass on a laptop rather than a console.
A very Rare swap
There's a slightly bittersweet twist to the timing, as the same Xbox Wire post lists GoldenEye 007 among the games leaving Game Pass on November 15, which means Perfect Dark, its spiritual successor, is effectively walking in the door just as Bond walks out of it. If you've still got unfinished business in the Facility, our list of games leaving Xbox Game Pass this month has the rest of the departures, including Wreckfest and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2.
Game Pass Essential is the entry-level tier, so it doesn't get the day-one launches like Football Manager 27 this week, but it does include online multiplayer and its own library of games, and these eight will be part of it from the 15th. Xbox hasn't given a time for the additions, and Pure Xbox has pointed out that six more games are joining the higher tiers across the anniversary week, with every chance Microsoft adds a few surprises before the big day.
Well, it wouldn't be an Xbox birthday party without a bear and a bird turning up uninvited.
About The Author
Jake Bannister
Jake is GGRecon's Co-Founder and Operations Director. You'll find him covering our word game brain teasers, as well as sports games such as Football Manager and EA FC. He's also that teammate on your Rocket League team spamming "Wow!".
