Where exactly did the leak come from?

From a video posted on the official Xbox Game Pass Instagram account showing footage from gamescom 2026. The video has since been deleted, and no archived copy has been found. Its credibility stems from the fact that it's an official Microsoft account, not an anonymous insider.

Which Game Pass tiers would the game arrive on day one?

The video didn't name any specific tier, but according to observations, the leak concerns Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Why are day one Game Pass releases less consistent now?

Since April 2025, Xbox has raised prices and removed future Call of Duty titles from day one releases. Big titles are no longer automatically added to the catalog at launch.

Will Castlevania: Belmont's Curse really arrive day one?

Until Xbox Wire or an official Microsoft channel announces it, this leak doesn't officially exist. No Game Pass banner currently appears on the game's Xbox store page.

An official Xbox account leaked a day one Game Pass release for Castlevania: Belmont's Curse

The official Xbox Game Pass Instagram account may have let the cat out of the bag. A video edited from gamescom 2026 footage, since removed, scrolled through the service's games and slipped in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, due out on October 15. If accurate, the game from Konami and Evil Empire would join the catalog right at launch. It didn't name any specific tier, but day one applies to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

What we verified

The post was deleted: we didn't view it ourselves, nor did we find an archived copy. Its credibility rests on who posted it, a Microsoft account rather than an anonymous insider.

The official channels, however, remain silent. The game's Xbox listing shows no Game Pass banner, neither does Microsoft's product database, and neither of the two "Coming to XBOX Game Pass" posts published on Xbox Wire on August 4 and 18 mention it. Neither Microsoft, Konami, nor Evil Empire has responded.

A day one that's no longer a given

On April 21, Xbox brought Game Pass Ultimate back down to $22.99 a month and PC Game Pass to $13.99, while removing future Call of Duty titles from day one releases: they will now arrive only "during the following holiday season." A third-party day one is no longer automatic. Priced at $29.99, Belmont's Curse would be a nice catch for subscribers, but until Xbox Wire confirms it, this day one doesn't exist.