Chained Beasts: release on 15 October 2026 and day-one Game Pass

• The game launches on 15 October 2026 and will be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one.
• Chained Beasts supports 1 to 4 players and centers on a chain mechanic for coordinated movement in the arena.

What happened

Featherweight Games has announced Chained Beasts as a gladiatorial action roguelite for 1 to 4 players. According to the available information, the game is set in arenas in places including Carthage, Germania, and Rome, where players fight for freedom. The title was officially revealed in mid-September 2026 with an 85-second gameplay trailer.

The core of the gameplay is a chain mechanic that requires coordinated movement. That chain can also be used to trip enemies or drag them toward arena hazards. The source also mentions melee weapons, throwable weapons, environmental objects, and executions as part of the combat system. That positions Featherweight Games’ project as an arena-action game with both co-op movement and direct combat options.

Featherweight Games is publishing Chained Beasts itself via ID@Xbox, and the title is scheduled as a day-one release for Xbox Game Pass on 15 October 2026. The stated release date is the one given in the announcement; the available information does not clarify whether that date varies by region. No pricing or preorder details were included in the provided material.

In addition to Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, Chained Beasts has also been announced for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. The PC version is said to arrive via Steam and the Xbox/Microsoft Store. The provided information does not say whether all platform versions will launch simultaneously on 15 October 2026, but the platform list was explicitly included in the announcement.

Background

Featherweight Games is a Sydney-based indie studio previously known for Botworld Adventure and Rodeo Stampede. Those earlier titles are referenced in the announcement, but Chained Beasts differs in focus by emphasizing arena combat and a chain-bound co-op setup. The studio is therefore linking the new game to a different kind of action experience than the projects it was previously known for.

The setting of Chained Beasts is tied in the announcement to historical arenas in Carthage, Germania, and Rome. The source says players fight there as gladiators for freedom, while the chain mechanic remains central to movement through the arena. Alongside that chain, the announcement also mentions melee weapons, throwable weapons, environmental objects, and executions, indicating a combat system with multiple layers.

The official reveal took place in mid-September 2026, with an 85-second gameplay trailer serving as the game’s first public presentation. In the same announcement, Featherweight Games also confirmed that it is publishing the title through ID@Xbox and that Chained Beasts will arrive as a day-one Game Pass release on 15 October 2026. The available information also lists Xbox Series X/S, PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5 as platforms, with Steam and the Xbox/Microsoft Store named as PC storefronts.

Related GAME-scanner articles

• Kernel Hearts launches on 17 September as a day-one Game Pass release

Sources

• Gamerant: Xbox Game Pass October 2026 games, Chained Beasts
• Provided fact report and angle report in this assignment