Nowadays, instead, it’s the phrase, “If something is too good to be true, it probably is.” Few things from the company fit that profile quite like Game Pass.

It’s funny looking back to its announcement almost a decade ago. A library of games available for how much monthly? Even if the industry was years off from paying $70 for new triple-A titles, $60 was still a significant price point, and being able to access such an extensive selection felt amazing. Of course, while Microsoft would entice everyone with the potential of adding backwards-compatible OG Xbox titles to the service, the next major step was announced: its first-party exclusives would become available on day one for subscribers. State of Decay 2, Forza Horizon 4, future Halo and Gears of War titles – it was simply unbelievable.

For those concerned about Xbox’s lack of exclusives at the time, Microsoft announced multiple acquisitions that same year, including Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, Compulsion Games, Playground Games and more. Game Pass Ultimate arrived in 2019 alongside PC Game Pass. Former Xbox head Phil Spencer called the service “completely sustainable.” Some of the hottest moments for the company were when it shadow-dropped big-name titles on Game Pass like Hi-Fi Rush and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered to pretty positive responses. Slowly but surely, it grew into one of, if not the best, subscriptions in gaming, spurring other companies to create their own in response (if not improve on existing models like PlayStation Plus).

Fast forward to now and suffice it to say that the overall atmosphere surrounding Game Pass is a lot different. Underwhelming Call of Duty titles, which has become a major anchor of Xbox’s software revenue, will no longer see new titles launching on day one for the service. Three of the previously mentioned studios (and Double Fine) acquired to bolster the catalogue – which they did, make no mistake – were sold off or became independent once more (not including Tango Gameworks being shut down before it was sold to Krafton). Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier recently reported that many people in Xbox’s studio leadership “absolutely detest” Game Pass as a whole, believing it to have “destroyed the value of their games.”

Spencer forecast 77 million subscribers by the end of July 2026 – reports claim that the current total is closer to around 30 million (which is down from the officially reported 34 million from 2024). Fun fact: At the time, he thought that if Microsoft couldn’t reach that figure, then it would be better served leaving the games business entirely.

Is it any coincidence that there have been reports about Xbox being spun off entirely or even turned into a joint venture before the layoffs were announced? I digress, but the timing is certainly interesting, especially since current CEO Asha Sharma admitted that Game Pass hasn’t grown at “the pace we expected.”

The only saving grace in all that is that it received a price drop after a controversial increase last year. Unfortunately, that hike resulted in millions of lost subscribers, according to Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball, and by the sound of recent reports, the company seems nowhere near reaching its 2024 peak.

For now, love it, hate it or ignore it, Xbox is in rebuild mode, cutting down on multiple layers of management and focusing on its biggest franchises. The problem is, it can’t just scuttle Game Pass at this point, even if it’s still shelling out money for third-party titles and devaluing its own exclusives, like the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day.

At the very least, it could have launched on PS5 and received some additional revenue from that, which might have helped shore up any potential sales lost through Game Pass. Now, it doesn’t get to have its cake and eat it too, and if recent console sales in the US are any indication, those price hikes in August for the Series X/S won’t help.

It’s funny, in a way. Game Pass is supposedly disliked internally and a major drain on resources while not growing, but alongside Candy Crush and Minecraft, it’s one of the few things propping up Xbox. It’s almost become an albatross for the company – existing in perpetuity with no concrete plans on how to combat subscriber numbers that have stagnated for years. Nothing in Sharma’s grand reset. No comments about it from all the executives talking about exclusives and whatnot.

At some point, before breaking all this down, I thought, “Well, Xbox doesn’t really have to kill Game Pass to survive.” And yet, I’m not so sure now. It could take several other steps – like cutting down on more day-one titles from first-party studios. We’ve already seen something when the new Game Pass Premium was revealed with Xbox-published titles arriving within a year of launch.

Otherwise, it’s hard to see a path forward for the service, especially since its existence runs counter to Xbox needing a “reliable pipeline of exclusive games” to bring the platform back to “consistent growth.” If Fallout 3 Remaster was shadow-dropped at next year’s Fallout Day in Washington, D.C., live in front of what may be an audience for that added bit of hype, are you going to buy it for, say, $50? Or will you play it on Game Pass, either because it’s a better deal or you’re already subscribed?

Will you pay full price for Fable or play it on Game Pass first to see if it’s for you? This isn’t to say that certain titles can’t coexist with the service – Forza Horizon 6 is a great example. But it’s also one of the few anomalies alongside Oblivion Remastered. Xbox’s multiplatform strategy may be a mess, but the fact that it’s still coming to PS5, especially after the blockbuster success of Forza Horizon 5, proves that it still wants a piece of that pie.

Promoting Xbox Series X/S growth is tough, and that’s before getting into price hikes and console shortages. Removing day-one first-party titles may also have a knock-on effect for PC. The majority sticks to Steam when it comes to purchasing titles, after all. One would assume that there’s some kind of crossover coming with Project Helix to allow for playing your Steam games on the platform, balancing it out with Game Pass. But again, if it sounds too good to be true, so on and so forth.

Aside from introducing that rumored free Cloud Gaming tier supported by advertising, Game Pass is a paradox for Xbox. It can’t be trifled with too much, lest it runs the risk of losing more subscribers, but it can’t be left alone at the risk of no growth. So while it won’t be sunset anytime soon, you have to wonder if those discussions are at least being explored, if not entertained. Regardless, even if Xbox opts to slay the albatross and move on, it won’t stop weighing on the company any time soon.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

It premieres on July 23rd for all three tiers and follows Remy as he ventures into Hadea to search for his parents in the midst of a civil war. The presence of supernatural monsters spawning from the Calamity doesn’t help either. Despite story and combat consternation, it’s well worth playing if you’re into an action-adventure that won’t hold your hand.

Next up is Halo: Campaign Evolved, the much-anticipated remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, which arrives on July 28th for Ultimate and PC Game Pass. While it retains the story and structure of the original, Halo Studios has added four-player co-op, three new Prologue missions, dozens of new Skulls, Campaign Remix and much more.

Mistfall Hunter debuts on July 30th for the same tiers, offering a PvEvP Souls-like extraction loop for up to three players. Then there’s Corsair Cove, a city builder with a pirate twist from Limbic Entertainment debuting on July 31st.

As a small preview for next month, you can look forward to Heretic + Hexen on Premium and Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation on August 4th. The latter is a triple-A action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic Japan, where players control Emma and Koo in their journey to stop the Blight. Head here for more details.

Of course, as usual, there’s a selection of titles leaving the service on July 31st. Check them out below:

• Back to the Dawn (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Celeste (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• My Friendly Neighborhood (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Rain World (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Sniper Elite Resistance (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Whiskerwood (PC)

It kicks off with 2.5 Metroidvania Winds of Arcana: Ruination, out now on Ultimate, Premiuma and PC Game Pass. Gears of War: Reloaded, a remaster of the original, joins Premium on July 9th alongside Tamashika, a corridor shooter coming to all three tiers.

Ascend to ZERO is next up on July 13th, launching on day one for the service and offering a rogue-like experience with time manipulation. July 14th sees the addition of PBA Pro Bowling 2026, answering the question of competitive bowling titles in today’s world.

Quarantine Zone: The Last Check arrives for Premium on July 15th, followed by Marvix by Matt Jones, a pro riding title with a focus on open-world multiplayer competition, on July 16th. Meanwhile, FixForce joins the line-up on July 17th with its co-op extraction repairing loop (as odd as that sounds). It arrives alongside rogue-like deck-builder Fogpiercer for PC.

Things improve drastically on July 21st with the addition of The Planet Crafter, a survival-crafting terraforming sandbox which recently received a massive new update. It will be available on all three tiers alongside Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, the acclaimed remakes of the first two games with new skaters, levels, and much more.

Check out the list of all the titles leaving on July 15th. Be warned – it’s fairly lengthy and may contain some favorites:

• Dungeons of Hinterberg (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• EA Sports FC 24 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Golf With Your Friends (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Minami Lane (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• PowerWash Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Splitgate: Arena Reloaded (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Stellaris (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Super Fantasy Kingdom (Game Preview) (PC)
• Techtonica (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC)

On June 17th, Call of Duty: Vanguard will be available. As a successor of sorts to Call of Duty: WW2, it sees players embarking on yet another campaign through World War 2, but this time as a special operations task force called – you guessed it – Vanguard. As far as campaigns go in the series, especially over the last five years, it’s pretty decent.

Other additions include EA Sports FC 26 on June 18th and Abyssus, a rogue-lite shooter with support for up to four players in co-op. If you’re looking for a more stressful experience with friends, indie hit RV There Yet? debuts on June 30th for Ultimate, Premium and PC tiers.

As for next month, it kicks off with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 joining Game Pass Premium on July 2nd. It’s already available for Ultimate and PC subscribers, and while not quite as compelling as the series’ last pair of remakes, there’s still plenty of fun skateboarding action available. On July 6th, all three tiers can look forward to Winds of Arcana: Ruination, a 2.5D Metroidvania that involves venturing through a mysterious world.

And as usual, several titles will leave the service on June 30th. Check them out below:

• Mecha BREAK (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Payday 2 (Console)
• Rise of the Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Slay the Spire (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Ultimate Chicken Horse (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Unpacking (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Volcano Princess (Cloud, Console, and PC)

June 8th will see two more games joining the service – Solarpunk and Undisputed. While both will be available across PC, cloud and Xbox Series X/S, Undisputed will also be available on handhelds. Solarpunk will be available through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, while Undisputed will also be available for Game Pass Premium subscribers.

Persona 5 Royal will be coming to PC, console and cloud on June 9th for Game Pass Premium, Ultimate, and PC subscribers, followed by Beastro for PC, Xbox Series X/S, Cloud, and handheld on June 11th for Game Pass Ultimate and PC subscribers. The same day, Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers on cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC will also get Frog Sqwad and the Game Preview version of STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions. Finally, Junkster will come to Ultimate and PC subscribers using Xbox Series X/S, PC, Handheld and cloud on June 16th.

Since it’s a part of Game Pass Ultimate, EA Play is also offering an Early Access Trial for its upcoming title, EA Sports UFC 6 for console players on June 12th.

June 15th will see a number of titles leaving the service – Jurassic World Evolution 2, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.

While there are quite a few indie titles that are making their debut through Game Pass in this batch, the headliner for many will likely be System Era Softworks’ STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions. The title has been in development for quite some time now, and unlike the original Astroneer, will have an even larger focus on multiplayer gameplay.

October 2025 saw the studio showcasing the gameplay for STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions through a video that came in at almost 17 minutes in length. It also featured creative director Adam Bromell giving some insights into the title.

“With this game, I didn’t want to just make a sequel to Astroneer,” explained Bromell in the video. “This is not Astroneer 2. This is a game that really represents the kind of online sandbox games that I want System Era to be known for, so much so that it is a whole new genre, and it is a whole new title. That game is STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions.”

STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions has been described by the studio as being a “full-blown expedition game”, with its core gameplay emphasizing improvisation and co-operation with other players. The title revolves around players being recruits on an experimental space station – the ESS Starseeker – and setting off on timed missions on different alien worlds under the leadership of the Fronteer Force.

Along with PC and Xbox Series X/S, STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions is also coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

Leenzee’s Souls-like action RPG, now owned by 505 Games’ parent company Digital Bros, is also available for PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers starting today. It follows reports about the dissolution of the core development team and the firing of director/producer Xia Siyuan. Whether the franchise has a future or not, the new owners are wasting no time to ensure more people can play the original.

Mixtape, the next game from The Artful Escape developer Beethoven and Dinosaur, is available on May 7th for Ultimate and PC subscribers. The same tiers will also receive cozy exploration crafting title Outbound on May 11th, followed by Black Jacket and Call of the Elder Gods on May 12th.

Interestingly, Elite Dangerous is also coming to Ultimate and Premium on May 12th, and may be worth checking out for Starfield fans who want deeper space exploration. DOOM: The Dark Ages debuts for Premium on May 14th alongside, at long last, Subnautica 2 on Game Preview for Ultimate and PC subscribers.

Then on May 19th, clear your schedule because Forza Horizon 6 goes live on May 19th for Ultimate and PC subscribers. If you’re subscribed to either and purchase the Premium Upgrade, then you can get early access on May 15th.

Check out all the titles that will be leaving Game Pass on May 15th (and which you can purchase at a 20 percent discount):

• Galacticare (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Go Mecha Ball (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Paw Patrol Rescue Wheels: Championship (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Planet of Lana (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Unfortunately, the rumors are true: new entries in the Call of Duty franchise will no longer be added to either tier on day one. Instead, they’ll become available about a year later during the holiday season. There are no changes to current titles, which is good news for all ten people who still enjoy Black Ops 7.

Regarding the changes, Microsoft said, “Our players cover a wide breadth of geographies, preferences, and tastes, so while there isn’t a single model that’s best for everyone, this change responds to a lot of feedback we’ve gotten so far. We’ll continue to listen and learn.”

For starters, the price changes are welcome following Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma reportedly claiming that the service had become too expensive. Of course, discussions have allegedly been brewing about a new tier that only includes first-party titles and a cloud gaming tier with a time limit.

As for Call of Duty, this move makes the most sense, given the sheer amount of revenue generated from game sales. With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 reportedly out in October and perhaps poised to stir the franchise back in the right direction, you can bet that Microsoft wants to reap as much revenue from it as possible.

While the former two are available for Premium subscribers, the latter launches on day one for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. On April 23rd, Double Fine Productions’ chaotic arts-and-crafts-meets-competitive-multiplayer title Kiln will be available on the same tiers for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Of course, it’s also coming to PS5 with cross-platform play available.

Aphelion, the latest narrative adventure from DON’T NOD, is available on April 28th for Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Meanwhile, Trepang2 is playable on April 29th for Premium, Ultimate and PC tiers, in case you were missing some F.E.A.R.-style combat in your life.

After an initial delay, Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era will launch on April 30th via Game Preview, with Ultimate and PC subscribers receiving access. It’s accompanied by Sledding Game, a relaxing snow-sports title that’s meant for friends (and even offers proximity voice chat), and TerraTech Legion, a “bullet heaven builder” where you fight off waves of robots by creating an increasingly powerful block-based vehicle.

If that wasn’t enough, next month kicks off with the addition of Final Fantasy 5 on May 5th. It won’t be long before the entire franchise is officially available on Game Pass, which is incentive enough to sign up.

Check out all the games leaving on April 30th. It’s a fairly long list, so either dive into them today or pick them up for 20 percent off:

• Citizen Sleeper (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Creatures of Ava (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Endless Legend 2 (PC)
• Goat Simulator (Cloud and Console)
• Goat Simulator Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Hunt Showdown 1896 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• NHL 24 (EA Play) (Cloud and Console)
• Revenge of the Savage Planet (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The latter are already available through Ultimate and PC Game Pass but are now playable in the Premium tier. Planet Coaster 2 arrives on April 9th, followed by Tiny Bookshop on April 10th. Both games will be playable for all three subscription tiers. Meanwhile, Football Manager 26 and its Console release join Premium on April 13th.

April 14th is big for new releases with the addition of Hades 2, which also launches day-and-date on Xbox Series X/S and PS5, and Replaced, the long-awaited 2.5D side-scrolling cyberpunk platformer. If neither is to your liking, there’s also The Thaumaturge, an underrated narrative-focused RPG. Meanwhile, April 16th sees the arrival of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered for Premium and EA Sports NHL 26 on Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Oddly enough, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the 2019 reboot, will also be available for all three tiers, followed by Little Rocket Lab, Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato, and Vampire Crawlers (based on the uber-popular Vampire Survivors) on April 21st. Double Fine’s Kiln wraps up the first wave on April 23rd, launching for Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Its open beta is set for April 9th to 11th on Steam, so there’s plenty of time to try it out for free.

Check out all the games that will be leaving on April 15th:

• Ashen (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Grand Theft Auto 5 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC)

Other notable releases for the first wave of Game Pass in March include Final Fantasy 3 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, both out today on Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass. to a T, a new adventure from Katamari Damacy’s creator is next on March 4th, though it’s currently playable for Premium subscribers.

EA Sports F1 25 arrives on the same day for Ultimate and PC Game Pass, followed by Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf on March 5th (which also marks the day of its launch on all platforms). And if you’re not keen on exploring Night City and becoming a legend as V, there’s also Construction Simulator, which drops for all three tiers on the same day.

For those who didn’t venture into Pharloom last September, Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available for Premium subscribers on March 12th. It’s followed by DreamWorks Gabby’s Dollhouse: Ready to Party on March 17th for all three tiers.

Of course, several titles will also be leaving the service on March 15th. Check them out below and finish them while they’re still available.

• Bratz Rhythm & Style (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Enter the Gungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• F1 23 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• He is Coming (PC)
• Lightyear Frontier (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island (Cloud, Console, and PC)