Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass just added a new day-one game to the library of the subscription service, and it is the best day-one game of 2026 so far. As a day-one game, this new addition is limited to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass tiers, and consequently not available via the Premium or Essential tiers. Meanwhile, there is no information about how long the game is free with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, but as long as it is, subscribers are being spared from a $20 purchase.
Those with either an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription or a PC Game Pass subscription can now play the newly released Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf. This game is available not just on Xbox Series X and PC, but Xbox One as well, which is noteworthy because Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Xbox One haven’t had many day-one games this year. Speaking of this year, Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is the best day-one Xbox Game Pass game of 2026, at least so far.
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The Best Day-One Xbox Game Pass Game So Far This Year
With its 82 on Metacritic, Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is the 19th highest-rated release of the year, and there is only one single Xbox Game Pass day one game released this year with a higher score. This is MIO: Memories in Orbit, which came out back on January 20 to an 83. There are more than just critical reviews, though. While MIO: Memories in Orbit is one point higher on Metacritic, Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf‘s superior user review scores give it the edge.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf currently has a 91% approval rating on Steam, 4/5 stars on the Xbox Store, and 4.38 out of 5 stars on the PlayStation Store. In comparison, MIO: Memories in Orbit has an 85% approval rating on Steam, 4/5 stars on the Xbox Store, and 4.21 stars out of 5 on the PlayStation Store. To this end, when you factor in both critic and consumer scores, Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf just barely edges it out.
For those unfamiliar with the game, Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a puzzle platformer from developer Wishfully and publisher Thunderful Publishing. It is the sophomore release from the former, who debuted in 2023 with the release of the game’s predecessor, Planet of Lana. The first game earned an 80 on Metacritic three years ago, so it appears the sequel is an improvement. Meanwhile, if this new addition doesn’t tickle your fancy, the good news is that March has plenty of other Xbox Game Pass games.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.
