MLB The Show 26 and Xbox Game Pass: Will It Be Available at Launch?

But there’s one question hovering over Xbox owners again.

After MLB The Show 25 skipped Game Pass last year, many players are wondering if 2026 changes course. From 2021 through 2024, Xbox users were spoiled. MLB The Show 21 through MLB The Show 24 all launched day one on Game Pass, delivering immediate value for subscribers.

Having covered the franchise’s Game Pass run since 2021, it was clear that a distribution agreement — reportedly influenced by Major League Baseball — allowed the title to launch on Game Pass for multiple years. That arrangement now appears to have changed, though neither Microsoft nor San Diego Studio has shared official details about the terms or its conclusion.

So will MLB The Show 26 launch day one on Game Pass?

The answer right now is no.

As of this writing, neither Microsoft nor San Diego Studio has announced plans to bring MLB The Show 26 to Game Pass at launch. The game is not currently listed as a Game Pass title in official release materials or platform storefronts, and no subscription availability has been confirmed. However, there has also been no formal statement permanently ruling out a future addition.

For now, if I want to play MLB The Show 26 on Xbox at release — whether early access or standard launch — I’ll need to purchase it outright. Unless an official announcement changes that status, Game Pass subscribers should not expect day-one availability this year.