The latest wave of games arriving on the Xbox Game Pass subscription platform in August have been announced, with the list including a few day one releases, as well as some independent games worthy of a wider audience. If you’re looking to play something new for the month, there’s a bunch of fresh options here.
There are dual headliners in this wave. The first is Vapor World: Over the Mind, launching in early access. This game follows a boy ‘drawn into a twisted dream’ who must fight his way out in Souls-like high-level combat.
The second is Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, the next game in the long-running Plague Tale series. This go around, you’ll follow Sophia’s journey to the Minotaur’s Island, where she must navigate a series of puzzles and physical challenges while staying ahead of an encroaching army.
Beyond these two highlights, there are plenty of other new adventures arriving in the Xbox Game Pass library shortly.
Xbox Game Pass August 2026 – quick links
Xbox Game Pass: arriving in August
On top of this month’s first drop of titles, here are all the new video games that will be arriving on Xbox Game Pass from mid-August:
- Egging On (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) available 18 August: ‘Face the challenge of being a real, fragile egg. Escape the henhouse and jump, roll and climb your way through a farm shop, factory and other perilous environments.’
- Vapor World: Over the Mind (Console, PC, Cloud) available 19 August: ‘Lost in darkness, a boy drawn into a twisted dream, no way out. Vapor World: Over The Mind is a narrative-driven Souls-like platformer focused on deflection combat.’
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect XÂ (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) available 19 August: ‘Experience a roguelite action game set in the BlazBlue universe, featuring striking 2D visuals, stylish combat and precise, responsive controls.’
- Relooted (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) available 19 August: ‘Reclaim real African artefacts from western museums in this African futurist heist game. Recruit crew members, plan escape routes, acquire the precious cargo and bounce out of the joint as fast as you can.’
- Starsand Island (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) available 20 August: ‘Return to the tranquil embrace of Starsand Island. Here, immerse yourself in a serene pastoral lifestyle: slow-paced days spent bonding with adorable capybaras, cats and dogs, savoring the thrill of bountiful fishing, exploring the mystical Moonlit Forest, or simply soaking in the island’s untouched beauty.’
- Aerial_Knight’s DropShot (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) available 25 August: ‘Aerial_Knight’s DropShot is a high-speed, stylized FPS racer where you play as Smoke Wallace. As a kid, he was bitten by a radioactive dragon, turning his skin purple and giving him the power to fire bullets from his fingertips. Race rivals, fight dragons, shoot smart, and look cool when you land.’
- Blood Dungeon (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) available 25 August: ‘You’ll have to parkour your way around treacherous dungeons to kite monsters while gathering blood and power-ups. Survive a run, take the bones you’ve earned to the Bone Shop, and get stronger.’
- Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud) available 27 August: ‘Follow Sophia’s journey to the Minotaur’s Island, where she faces deadly trials, navigates treacherous trails [and] solves puzzles, all while fighting and staying one step ahead of the army chasing her.’
- Young Suns (Console, PC, Cloud) available 31 August: ‘Young Suns is a narrative life sim set after a successful revolution on Jupiter. Explore fantastical planetoids, derelict ruins, and converted stations with a crew of up to three friends or on your own.’
In addition, one early game for September has also been announced:
- Shelldiver (Console, PC, Cloud) available 1 September: ‘All aboard the submarine! Shelldiver is an incremental game about a turtle fishing jellyfish and selling them at their little shop. Help our senior protagonist upgrade their equipment, explore various biomes and oceanic depths, and help their local turtle population – maybe right after a well-deserved nap!’
Xbox Game Pass: departing in August
In addition to the above arrivals, there are also some departures for Xbox Game Pass this month. From 31 August, the following titles will leave the platform:
- Another Crab’s Treasure
- I Am Your Beast
- Neon Abyss
- One Lonely Outpost
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- NBA 2K26 (departing 6 September)
