Best Co-Op Games on Xbox Game Pass: 6 Picks

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One of the best things about Xbox Game Pass is that you never have to gamble on a co-op game. Instead of paying full price and hoping your friends like it, everyone on the subscription can just download and play. These six picks cover everything from AAA blockbuster campaigns to chaotic indie romps, and every one of them is on Game Pass right now.

Gears of War: E-Day

The biggest co-op release on Game Pass this month, and the one your whole group is probably already downloading. E-Day is a prequel set 14 years before the original Gears of War, with Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago facing the first Locust invasion. The campaign supports up to 4 players online, or 2-player split-screen on console, which is a genuine rarity in 2026. When the story is done, Horde Siege takes the classic wave-survival mode and scales it up for bigger squads and bigger maps, with four classes to build your team around.

Around $70 if you buy it outright, but it launched day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, so the subscription is the move. Check price on Amazon

Chained Beasts

The freshest pick on this list, and maybe the funniest. Chained Beasts is a 1-4 player co-op gladiator roguelike where you and your friends are literally chained together, fighting through chaotic arena battles. The chain is not just decoration: you swing teammates across gaps, clothesline enemies with it, and argue constantly about who dragged who off a ledge. It supports local co-op, online co-op, shared split-screen, and cross-platform play, so nobody has an excuse to sit out. It released October 15 and went straight into Game Pass on day one.

Around $20, cheap enough that buying a copy for a non-subscriber friend costs less than a pizza. Check price on Amazon

Sea of Thieves

The ultimate everything-goes-wrong-in-the-best-way co-op game. You and up to 3 friends crew a pirate ship: one steers, one mans the cannons, one repairs the hull mid-battle while someone else bails water with a bucket. Sessions start sensible and end with somebody shouting about a hole in the ship. It has full crossplay across Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5, so your crew can join from anywhere. Years of updates mean there is always a new tall tale, event, or ship cosmetic to chase.

Around $40, or just download it on Game Pass and spend the money on grog instead. Check price on Amazon

Deep Rock Galactic

Four dwarves. Procedurally generated caves. Swarms of bugs. Deep Rock Galactic is one of the best-designed co-op games ever made, and it stays great because every mission genuinely needs all four roles: the Scout lights the cave, the Engineer builds platforms, the Gunner holds the line, and the Driller opens the path. Missions run 20-40 minutes, perfect for a weeknight session, and the progression is deep without demanding your life.

Around $30, an easy recommendation at full price and a no-brainer on Game Pass. Check price on Amazon

Grounded 2

If your group would rather build than blast, Grounded 2 is the co-op survival game to play right now. Shrunk to the size of an ant, you and your friends explore Brookhollow Park, a massive backyard full of giant insects, hidden labs, and base-building opportunities. The sequel adds mounts, yes, you can ride bugs now, and it is built for shared online co-op from the ground up. It is in Game Preview, so expect updates and rough edges, but the core loop is already excellent.

Around $30 for the Game Preview build, included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Check price on Amazon

It Takes Two

The perfect pick for exactly two players. It Takes Two is a co-op-only story adventure designed for a pair: a struggling couple turned into dolls, forced to cooperate through wildly inventive levels that never repeat a mechanic twice. And here is the kicker: the Friend’s Pass means only ONE of you needs to own it. Your partner plays the full game free. It is on Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play, so both of you can just install it.

Around $40, effectively $20 each if you split it, or free if one of you has Game Pass. Check price on Amazon

What to look for in a co-op Game Pass game

Player count and co-op style matter most. Couch co-op, online co-op, or both? Gears of War: E-Day and Chained Beasts still offer split-screen, while most modern games dropped it years ago. Check the Game Pass tier too: the new day-one releases here need Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, while older catalog games are more widely available. Crossplay is worth confirming before inviting a friend on another platform, Sea of Thieves lets Xbox, PC, and PS5 players crew up together. Finally, think about session length: Deep Rock Galactic missions fit a weeknight, while Sea of Thieves and Grounded 2 can happily eat a whole Saturday.

Grab a friend, pick a game, and download before the next Game Pass wave rotates the list. Happy looting.