Twice a month, Microsoft updates its Xbox Game Pass library with a number of new titles. For the remainder of April, subscribers can look forward to a variety of exciting indies alongside smaller Xbox Studios titles, including but not limited to Vampire Crawlers; Kiln and Little Rocket Lab.

Making the official announcement via the Xbox Wire Blog, Microsoft detailed the rest of April’s Xbox Game Pass line-up. As always, the titles themselves will be released in a staggered manner, with the first 3 available from today:

• Little Rocket Lab 
• Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato 
• Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors [GP Ultimate / PC]

Arriving later in April (and early May)

• Kiln [GP Ultimate / PC]
• Aphelion [GP Ultimate / PC]
• Trepang2
• Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era [GP Ultimate / PC]
• Sledding Game [GP Ultimate / PC)
• TerraTech Legion [GP Ultimate / PC]
• Final Fantasy V

As always, a new drop of Game Pass titles also coincides with a number of removals, with the following set to depart the service on the 30th of April:

• Citizen Sleeper
• Creatures of Ava
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
• Endless Legend 2
• Goat Simulator
• Goat Simulator Remastered
• Hunt Showdown 1896
• NHL 24
• Revenge of the Savage Planet

While April’s additions include a number of welcome titles (with the day-one additions of Kiln and Vampire Crawlers being of particular note), the list of games departing is unfortunate to see, with the likes of Citizen Sleeper; Xenoverse 2; Hunt Showdown and Revenge of the Savage Planet all being titles worth trying out before they are removed.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of April’s line-up? Are the trade-offs worth it? Let us know your thoughts down below.

Xbox has announced the next batch of games joining its Xbox Game Pass subscription service for the first wave of April 2026 titles. There are nine games joining the service for the first time, including new releases like Kiln, Replaced, and Vampire Crawlers, and other games finally making their way to the service, like the 2019 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot and Hades 2 with its arrival on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. More than that though is the number of games getting shuffled around, so they're available not just to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, but to those on the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/xbox-game-pass-games-april-2026-wave-1-kiln-hades-2-vampire-crawlers-call-of-duty/

Microsoft's annual Xbox Developer Directs have all featured a surprise or two, this year’s being the announcement for KILN – a multiplayer pottery game from Double Fine. Initially stated to be arriving some time in Spring of 2026, the team have now shared an official release date, beta details and more.

KILN is an experimental multiplayer game in which players design and then battle their clay creations across a multitude of game modes. Said to be one of Double Fine’s smaller projects, the team have now officially confirmed that the title will launch on 23rd of April for the relatively cheap price of $19.99 (though a special ‘Fired Up Edition’ is also available for $10 extra).

Those curious to try out this rather unique take on online multiplayer can do so early as Double Fine are currently hosting a number of closed betas (the sign-ups for which can be found HERE). Beyond this, KILN is also set to receive an open beta ahead of launch, meaning everyone will be able to give it a shot prior to purchasing. The Open Beta will go live on Steam from the 9th to the 11th of April.

The team also teased the game’s potential post-launch plans, stating that “we’re taking this open beta as an opportunity to not only test out our servers, but to see what resonates with players and what the Kiln team should be prioritizing next. We have a lot of possibilities with a game like Kiln—more customization, more maps, more modes—and, as much as we want to add everything we can to the game, we want to see what you, the players want the most.”

Launching a brand new multiplayer game – especially one as different as KILN – can be quite the uphill battle, and so it will be interesting to see whether the game manages to resonate with players during the beta period and eventually upon its official launch.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of KILN? Could it have staying power? Are multiplayer games too homogenised nowadays? Let us know your thoughts down below.

Today, Microsoft-owned developer Double Fine Productions unveiled the release date of Kiln, its next game after Keeper. As rumored two months ago by The Verge's Tom Warren, the game will launch next month, on April 23, to be precise. It will be available on Xbox Series S|X, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, PlayStation 5, Steam, and via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for subscribers. The following editions are available: Edition Price Contents Standard $19.99 Base game Fired Up $29.99 Base game + premium glazes, stickers, attachments, custom pots, and bonus Chips* *Chips are a cosmetic currency that can only be earned through […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/double-fine-multiplayer-kiln-launches-april-23/