The 25 Years of XBOX Bundle is live in the US. Skyrim, Halo, DOOM, Gears of War: Reloaded, Blinx and 20 more come free with a qualifying new Windows 11 PC or handheld. The same bundle costs $569.99 if you buy it outright.
Xbox is turning 25 this month, and Microsoft’s birthday gift goes to PC players. Buy and activate a qualifying new Windows PC in the United States between now and December 31, 2026, and you get the 25 Years of XBOX Bundle: 25 PC games added to your Microsoft account at no extra cost. The bundle is already showing up for some buyers, and Microsoft says it will appear on every eligible device by November 30.
How much is that worth? The same bundle went up for sale on the Microsoft Store this week for $569.99, per Pure Xbox. Windows Central puts the total value at over $500.
What you need to know
- What you get: 25 digital PC games, added to the Microsoft account you use to activate and claim on the new PC.
- Who qualifies: customers in the United States only.
- Which PCs: select new Windows Home PCs and handhelds from participating Microsoft and OEM device lines. The only Windows Pro machines that count are qualifying NVIDIA RTX Spark devices. Other Windows Pro PCs are out.
- Not eligible: refurbished, open-box, returned and demo units, plus PCs bought from unauthorized resellers, online marketplaces, liquidators or auction sites.
- Buy window: November 2, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC (7:00 PM ET on Nov 1) through December 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC (6:59 PM ET), while supplies last.
- When it shows up: on eligible devices no later than November 30, 2026.
- Claim deadline: February 12, 2027 at 11:59 PM UTC (6:59 PM ET).
- Fine print: the games can’t be split across accounts or transferred, and Microsoft says it may revoke the bundle if the PC purchase is returned or canceled.
How to claim it
- Buy and activate your qualifying new Windows PC or handheld.
- Sign in on that PC with the Microsoft account you want the games on.
- Open the Microsoft Store app.
- Go to Library, then Included with device.
- Find the 25 Years of XBOX Bundle, double check you’re on the right account, and hit Claim.
One tip from buyers: a commenter on Pure Xbox said the offer showed up in the Microsoft Store but not in the Xbox app, so check the Store.
What’s in the bundle
Here’s the official list from Microsoft’s offer page:
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
- Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
- Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
- Minecraft Dungeons
- Gears of War: Reloaded
- Call of Duty: WWII
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- Fallout 76
- DOOM
- DOOM II
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition
- Age of Mythology: Retold
- Quake
- Quake II
- Wolfenstein: The New Order
- The Outer Worlds
- Rise of Nations: Extended Edition
- As Dusk Falls
- Battletoads
- Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
- Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection
- Fuzion Frenzy
- Gears Tactics
- Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
- BLINX: The Time Sweeper
Store listing: 25 Years of XBOX Bundle on the Microsoft Store
Heads up: the paid Microsoft Store listing that Pure Xbox pulled its list from names a few items differently, including Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition and The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind Upgrade. Microsoft’s own offer page is the list above, so that’s the one to go by for the free version.
Does it work on Xbox consoles too?
Some of it. Windows Central points out that several games support Xbox Play Anywhere, so buying once gets you the PC and Xbox versions. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Gears of War: Reloaded and The Elder Scrolls Online are in that group, and Pure Xbox says DOOM + DOOM II are too. Pure Xbox puts it at around half the bundle.
The biggest names that are not Play Anywhere, per Windows Central: Call of Duty: WWII, Fallout 76, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Minecraft Dungeons. Those are PC copies only.
Handhelds count
Microsoft’s terms specifically include qualifying handhelds, and Pure Xbox says people have already been getting the bundle free after buying a ROG Xbox Ally X20. Windows Central’s Jez Corden, who just re-reviewed the Xbox Ally X after a year with it, called it “a fantastic device, a perfect companion for any XBOX player with a big Xbox Play Anywhere library.” Microsoft hasn’t posted a full list of eligible devices yet, so if you’re shopping for a specific laptop or handheld, check that the retailer is a participating US seller.
Which bundle game are you booting up first?
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The reaction
Over on Pure Xbox, the $569.99 sticker price got roasted, with commenters calling it way too high for older games you can grab cheaper on sale. But as a freebie, people were a lot kinder. One reader summed it up: “As a freebie this is a decent collection for sure.”
OnPoint’s take: Forget the $569.99 price tag, nobody should pay that, and that’s not the point. The point is that anyone unboxing a Windows handheld or gaming laptop this holiday season walks away with Skyrim, Oblivion, DOOM, Gears of War: Reloaded and Halo already in their library. That’s a gigantic W for new PC players and a smart way to pull them into the Xbox ecosystem on day one. And seeing Blinx, Fuzion Frenzy, Crimson Skies and Battletoads in a 25th anniversary bundle? That’s pure OG Xbox love. Our only wish: open it up beyond the US, and give us the full eligible device list so nobody guesses wrong at checkout.
Image: Microsoft / Xbox (Microsoft Store)
Sources
- Microsoft: 25 Years of XBOX Bundle, how to redeem and terms
- Microsoft Store: 25 Years of XBOX Bundle listing
- Windows Central: Buy a new Windows 11 PC and Microsoft will give you 25 Xbox games worth over $500 for free
- Pure Xbox: Xbox’s New 25 Years Bundle Retails For $569.99
- gg.deals: Microsoft’s free 25-game Xbox bundle promotion is now live
