New Xbox Game Pass Games This Month

Updated August 29, 2026

The newest Xbox Game Pass wave is led by the day-one releases Blood Dungeon on August 25 and Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy on August 27. Young Suns arrives August 31, Shelldiver September 1, and Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault September 2. Five games leave the library on August 31.

The newest Game Pass wave

Microsoft's August wave two announcement covers ten additions from August 18 through September 1. The table below lists the nine arriving through August 31, and Shelldiver follows on September 1. Availability differs by game, platform, and subscription plan, so the plan line is as important as the release date.

Platform support also varies. Egging On is listed for cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, and PC. Vapor World uses cloud, console, and PC, while Resonance supports cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, and PC. The official post uses a Handheld label for games optimized for handheld play.

Resonance arrives as a day-one release

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy joined Ultimate and PC Game Pass on August 27, the same day as its release. Microsoft describes it as Sophia's journey to the Minotaur's Island, mixing traversal, puzzle solving, fighting, and pursuit.

Blood Dungeon is built around short runs

Blood Dungeon joined Ultimate and PC Game Pass on August 25 as a day-one title. The official description identifies it as a 2D platforming survival game where you survive a run, spend the bones you earn at the Bone Shop to get stronger, and complete quests to unlock upgrades, arenas, and skins.

Premium received several established additions

Egging On, BlazBlue Entropy Effect X, Relooted, Starsand Island, and Aerial_Knight's DropShot all carry the same plan line in Microsoft's post: now with Game Pass Premium, and joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Read that line for each game rather than assuming one plan covers a whole wave.

What is coming to Game Pass next

Young Suns is scheduled for August 31 on cloud, console, and PC. It is joining Premium, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass with its 1.0 release, and Microsoft describes it as a narrative life simulation playable alone or with a crew of up to three friends.

Shelldiver is scheduled for September 1 on cloud, console, and PC, listed for Premium, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass. Microsoft's weekly release post then adds Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault on September 2 as a Game Pass 1.0 release, and Xbox has separately confirmed RuneScape: Dragonwilds for Game Pass on September 15. Microsoft has not yet published a September wave post with the full month's list.

The first August wave was also substantial. Microsoft's August 4 announcement added or expanded access to Heretic + Hexen, Beast of Reincarnation, Monsters are Coming!, PowerWash Simulator 2, Bounty Star, Date Everything!, Grounded 2 (Game Preview), Ball x Pit, Cricket 26, Mio: Memories in Orbit, Sandustry (Game Preview), and Egging On.

Among those, Beast of Reincarnation and Sandustry were explicitly labeled day-one releases for Ultimate and PC Game Pass, with Sandustry arriving as a Game Preview title. The same post listed the Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta early-access period as an Ultimate and PC Game Pass benefit rather than a permanent catalog addition.

Five games leave on August 31

The wave two post says the following titles leave the library on August 31. If a game is unfinished, launch it before the deadline or buy it at the discount Microsoft links from that post to keep a copy.

• Another Crab's Treasure on cloud, console, and PC
• I Am Your Beast on cloud, console, and PC
• Neon Abyss on cloud, console, and PC
• One Lonely Outpost on cloud, console, and PC
• The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt Remastered Edition on cloud and console

NBA 2K26 has a separate September 6 removal date for cloud, console, and PC. These are catalog removals, not cancellations of a purchased license. Microsoft says game availability varies by plan and that the library itself varies, with streaming limited to supported regions and devices.

The live Game Pass games browser is the final place to check install availability for a specific account and device. A title can be present on one platform or plan without being included on another.

The current Game Pass plans

The current names are Xbox Game Pass Essential, Xbox Game Pass Premium, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and PC Game Pass. Microsoft's live plan comparison confirms those four options. Older Core and Standard names should not be used for the current lineup.

Xbox's plan page describes Essential as a library of more than 50 games with online console multiplayer and in-game benefits, but without new releases on day one. Premium has more than 200 games and says new Xbox-published games enter within one year of launch.

Ultimate has more than 500 games across console, PC, and supported devices, and it includes new games on day one. PC Game Pass has more than 300 PC games, day-one releases, and EA Play. The exact library count and availability can change, so the plan page should be rechecked before subscribing.

A day-one label means a game enters the named Game Pass plan on its release day. It does not mean every plan receives it. In the current wave, Vapor World: Over the Mind, Blood Dungeon, and Resonance are the day-one games for Ultimate and PC Game Pass, and Essential is not listed for any of them.

Use the free games calendar to compare deadlines across services. The PlayStation Plus guide tracks Sony's monthly claims, and the Epic free games page covers permanent weekly claims. More game coverage is in the Daily Games hub.