Xbox Game Pass Games List: New Games, Best Picks and What’s Leaving (July 2026)

• Xbox Game Pass has over 800 titles across all tiers as of July 2026.
• New games are added twice a month — typically at the start and middle of each month.
• July 2026 is headlined by Halo: Campaign Evolved (July 28), plus Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, Palworld’s 1.0 update, and The Planet Crafter.
• Eight games left Game Pass on 30 June 2026, including both Tomb Raider games, Payday 2, and Slay the Spire.
• Games on the “Leaving Soon” list can be purchased at a 20% member discount before they go.
• The library you can access depends on your tier — Essential, Premium, PC Game Pass, or Ultimate.

Xbox Game Pass games list changes every month. New titles arrive, others rotate out, and the library shifts depending on which tier you are subscribed to. This guide covers every new game confirmed for July 2026, the best games available right now by genre, what recently left the service, and how to find the full library on your device. To compare tiers and pricing, read our Xbox Game Pass price guide.

How Many Games Are on Xbox Game Pass?

Xbox Game Pass has over 800 titles to enjoy on Xbox consoles or PCs as of 2026. Since it has a rotating library, there is always a new game to look forward to.

The exact number depends on the tier and platform. Ultimate subscribers access the largest library across console, PC, and cloud. Essential subscribers access a smaller curated set of 50+ titles. Microsoft continued its aggressive day-one release cadence through June 2026, and July keeps that pace going with a heavyweight lineup led by a first-party Halo remake.

New Xbox Game Pass Games: July 2026

Microsoft announces new games in two waves each month — Wave 1 in the first week and Wave 2 around the 15th. The official July Wave 1 post is expected around 7 July, but Microsoft has already confirmed a stacked run of releases with specific dates ahead of that announcement.

Confirmed So Far for July 2026

The headline release is Halo: Campaign Evolved on July 28 — a full Unreal Engine 5 remake of Halo: Combat Evolved built for the franchise’s 25th anniversary, including a new three-mission prequel called Operation: Meteorite. It arrives day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 kicks the month off on July 2, and Palworld reaches its 1.0 release on July 10 for existing subscribers.

Expect Microsoft’s official Wave 1 post on Xbox Wire to add several more day-one titles before the month is out — this table will be updated as those land.

Xbox Game Pass Games That Recently Left

Eight titles left Xbox Game Pass on 30 June 2026, closing out the month. As always, Microsoft offered members a discount of at least 20% on these games in the run-up to their removal.

Games that left 30 June 2026:

• Mecha BREAK
• Payday 2
• Rise of the Tomb Raider
• Slay the Spire
• Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
• Ultimate Chicken Horse
• Unpacking
• Volcano Princess

As of 2 July 2026, Microsoft has not yet confirmed which titles will leave later in the month — those announcements typically arrive in two batches, one in early July and one in late July. Tip: Always check the “Leaving Soon” tab in the Xbox app or at xbox.com/game-pass/games. Microsoft typically gives around two weeks’ notice before a game departs.

How the Game Pass Library Works by Tier

Not every game on Game Pass is available on every tier. Here is how the library splits across plans.

Ultimate and PC Game Pass access the same large library but on different platforms. Premium subscribers get a solid catalogue without day-one access on most titles. Essential covers a smaller, hand-picked selection. Note that Halo: Campaign Evolved and most of July’s day-one releases are Ultimate and PC Game Pass exclusives at launch. For the full tier and pricing breakdown, see our Xbox Game Pass price guide.

Best Xbox Game Pass Games Right Now by Genre

With over 800 titles, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. Here are the standout games on Game Pass right now, broken down by genre.

Best RPGs on Xbox Game Pass

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — The 2025 Game of the Year winner, praised for its innovative JRPG gameplay, gorgeous art style, and one of the best stories in recent memory.
• Persona 5 Royal — A landmark JRPG that returned to Game Pass in June 2026. Stylish, deep, and one of the most beloved games of its generation.
• Wuthering Waves — Joining the library on July 10. A story-rich open-world action RPG with a high degree of build freedom and a large evolving cast.
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — A timeless open-world RPG with hundreds of hours of content. A permanent fixture in the library.
• Starfield — Bethesda’s space-exploration RPG, available day one on Game Pass. A massive first-person RPG with a crafted open universe.

Best Action and Adventure Games on Xbox Game Pass

• Halo: Campaign Evolved — Arriving July 28. A full Unreal Engine 5 rebuild of the original Halo campaign, with three brand-new prequel missions.
• Hi-Fi Rush — One of the most joyful and original games on the service. A rhythm-action game with a brilliant soundtrack and sharp combat.
• A Plague Tale: Requiem — A visually stunning stealth-action narrative game and one of the best story experiences in the library.
• Sea of Thieves — The definitive pirate adventure for solo play or with friends, with regular free content updates.
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps — One of two brilliant platformers in Moon Studios’ Ori series, with stunning visuals and emotionally gripping storytelling.

Best Shooters on Xbox Game Pass

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 — The most recent CoD title currently in the library. Campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies all included.
• Doom Eternal — A relentlessly fast and satisfying first-person shooter. One of the best action games in the service.
• Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary — The remastered classic, part of the Master Chief Collection, ahead of the July 28 Campaign Evolved remake.
• Gears 5 — A polished third-person cover shooter with a strong campaign and excellent co-op and versus multiplayer.

Best Survival and Crafting Games on Xbox Game Pass

• Palworld — Reaching its 1.0 release on July 10, a perfect moment for lapsed subscribers to jump back into the creature-collecting survival hit.
• The Planet Crafter — Joining July 21. A terraforming survival sandbox that tasks players with transforming a hostile planet into a habitable one.
• Solarpunk — Added in June 2026. A sky-island survival game with base building, crafting, and airship exploration.

Best Racing and Sports Games on Xbox Game Pass

• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 — Arriving July 2 with updated visuals, modern controls, and online multiplayer.
• Forza Horizon 6 — An enormous open-world racing game with hundreds of cars, and one of the most-played titles on the service since its May 2026 day-one launch.
• Forza Horizon 5 — Set in Mexico with one of the best open-world environments in any racing game. Still excellent alongside its successor.
• Forza Motorsport — The simulation-focused counterpart to Horizon. Deep car tuning, real circuits, and a strong career mode.

Best Indie Games on Xbox Game Pass

• Hollow Knight — A masterclass in Metroidvania design. Platforming, combat, and exploration feel precise, and every hidden path is a reward.
• Hades — One of the best roguelike games ever made. Exceptional writing, smooth combat, and endlessly replayable.
• Stardew Valley — The definitive farming and life simulation game. Relaxing, deep, and one of the best indie games of its generation.
• Balatro — A breakout roguelike poker card game that hooks with its one-more-run loop. One of the most acclaimed indie releases in recent years, still going strong.
• Ascend to Zero — Joining July 13. A time-manipulation roguelike where you can freeze time to plan attacks across repeated runs.

Best Horror Games on Xbox Game Pass

• Dead Space (2023 Remake) — A beautifully remade survival horror classic. One of the scariest games in the library.
• Prey — An underrated first-person sci-fi horror game from Arkane Studios with outstanding atmosphere and gameplay depth.
• Alan Wake 2 — A visually stunning horror narrative from Remedy Entertainment. One of the best-looking games on the service.
• Total Chaos — Added to Premium in June 2026. A first-person survival horror from the creator of Turbo Overkill, brimming with mysteries to solve and monsters to avoid or kill.

Best Multiplayer Games on Xbox Game Pass

• Minecraft — The world’s best-selling game. Survival, creative, and multiplayer modes all included.
• Halo Infinite — The multiplayer is free to play, but Game Pass members get in-game perks and benefits.
• It Takes Two — One of the best co-op games ever made. Designed exclusively for two players from start to finish.
• Sea of Thieves — A live-service multiplayer pirate adventure with years of free content updates.
• Palworld — Multiplayer survival and creature-collecting, getting a major content boost with its July 10 1.0 release.

Best Games for Families on Xbox Game Pass

• Minecraft — Suitable for all ages and one of the most creative games on any platform.
• Stardew Valley — A gentle farming life game with broad appeal.
• Ori and the Blind Forest — A visually beautiful platformer that is accessible to younger players.
• Herdling — Added in June 2026. An atmospheric adventure game in which you lead a herd of loveable beasts up a mountain path. A great discovery-style game for all ages.

Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass Later in 2026

Several major titles are confirmed as day-one Game Pass launches for the rest of 2026, beyond July’s Halo: Campaign Evolved. These are the most anticipated upcoming additions.

• Gears of War: E-Day — The long-awaited prequel to the Gears of War series. A day-one Ultimate and PC Game Pass launch.
• Fable — The reboot of the beloved British RPG franchise from Playground Games. Confirmed as a day-one Game Pass title.
• High on Life 2 — The sequel to Justin Roiland’s irreverent comedy shooter. Day-one on Game Pass.
• State of Decay 3 — Undead Labs’ next open-world survival title, still in development but showing fresh gameplay footage as of June 2026.

Microsoft has confirmed 75+ day-one releases per year across Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Check Xbox Wire for the latest announcements as they are confirmed.

How to Find Games on Xbox Game Pass

There are several ways to browse the full library depending on your device.

On Xbox Console

1. Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
2. Select My Games & Apps.
3. Navigate to the Game Pass tab to browse all available titles.
4. Use filters to sort by genre, recently added, leaving soon, and more.

On PC

1. Open the Xbox app (download from the Microsoft Store if needed).
2. Click the Game Pass tab at the top.
3. Browse by recently added, day-one releases, leaving soon, or genre.

On Browser

Go to xbox.com/game-pass/games. You can filter by tier, platform, genre, publisher, and availability status. This is the most complete view of the full library.

On Mobile

Download the Xbox app on Android or iOS. The Games tab shows your full library, recently added titles, and the leaving soon section. You can also start cloud gaming directly from the app.

How Often Do New Games Come to Xbox Game Pass?

In most cases, a game remains available on Xbox Game Pass for anywhere between six and 18 months, though some titles can leave even earlier depending on licensing agreements and publisher decisions.

New games arrive approximately twice a month. Microsoft’s typical schedule is:

• Wave 1 — Announced and added in the first week of the month.
• Wave 2 — Announced and added around the 15th of the month.

Day-one releases are added at the same time as their global launch. Third-party games are added throughout the year based on publishing agreements. Microsoft Gaming adds games regularly, so there is always something new to look forward to.

What Happens When a Game Leaves Xbox Game Pass?

When a title leaves, you lose access to it through your subscription unless you have purchased it separately. Your in-game progress is saved even after your subscription expires, as long as the game supports a progress saving mechanism. You will not be able to play the game, but it will remain installed and can be replayed after renewing or purchasing the title.

Microsoft notifies players about departing titles at least two weeks in advance. Subscribers can purchase departing games at a discounted price before they leave — giving them the opportunity to permanently add them to their library for less. The typical discount is 20% for Game Pass members.

Some games do return to Game Pass after a period away. Persona 5 Royal, for example, left the service in 2023 and returned in June 2026.

Xbox Game Pass Games vs Buying Games

One of the most common questions is whether the rotating library makes Game Pass worth it compared to buying games outright.

The key thing to understand is that you do not own the games. You access them for as long as you are subscribed and they remain in the library. If a game you love rotates out and you never bought it, you lose access.

For players who explore a wide range of titles, this model delivers exceptional value — July alone brings a AAA first-party remake, a beloved skateboarding franchise, and a survival hit’s full 1.0 launch, all at no extra cost on Ultimate. The depth and variety of the library mean most players will always find something new.

For players who replay the same two or three games repeatedly, a rotating library adds less value. In those cases, buying your favourite games outright may make more financial sense. For a full cost comparison, read our Xbox Game Pass price guide.

Frequently Asked Questions