The other blockbuster addition is the early access open beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Available to download starting August 28th, the beta will be playable from August 30th to September 4th. Since one must otherwise pre-order the title to obtain access, this is a pretty sweet deal for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Other noteworthy releases include Core Keeper, a sandbox survival adventure for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and cloud on August 27th (the same day it exits early access). Star Trucker also arrives on September 3rd for cloud, console, and PC. Xbox Game Pass Core subscribers can also look forward to Cities: Skylines, SnowRunner, and Control: Ultimate Edition on August 21st.

Check out the titles leaving the service on August 31st:

• Atomic Heart (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Guilty Gear Strive (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• NBA 2K24 (Cloud and Console)

In a statement to The Verge, Xbox’s head of communications Kari Perez clarified that Diablo 4 will not be available to subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Core. The lowest and cheapest tier of the service was introduced last September, including a smaller selection of games than the service’s base tier, and folding in online multiplayer access, which was previously provided through Xbox Live subscriptions.

Simply put, that means Diablo 4 will be available to subscribers of Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate starting March 28, but those subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Core will have to upgrade their subscription to one of the higher tiers to gain access.

Microsoft has also confirmed that Game Pass has now surpassed 34 million subscribers (including Xbox Game Pass Core), and reiterated that the service will remain exclusive to Xbox and PC.

The following titles will be available at launch:

• Among Us
• Descenders
• Dishonored 2
• Doom Eternal
• Fable Anniversary
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76
• Forza Horizon 4
• Gears 5
• Grounded
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• Human Fall Flat
• Inside
• Ori and The Will of the Wisps
• Psychonauts 2
• State of Decay 2
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

Note that the game library may vary by country. More titles will be announced before the service’s launch in September. New games will be added two to three times yearly, though how many at any given time is unknown. Those currently subscribed to Xbox Live Gold will automatically switch to the new plan with no change in pricing.

Games with Gold officially ends on September 1st. Any Xbox One games redeemed through it are still accessible if you subscribe to Game Pass Core or Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox 360 titles obtained through the same will remain in your library, even without a subscription.  Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

That’s according to a report that recently went live on Windows Central, claiming that Xbox Live Gold will be retired entirely in September and replaced with a new subscription tier for Xbox Game Pass. The report, which seemed to have been published prematurely, was promptly taken down, though not before Korean website cafe.naver managed to capture its content, as well as a screenshot that seemingly confirms the existence of the new Game Pass tier (you can view it below).

As per the report, starting on September 1, Xbox Live Gold will be discontinued, and replaced with Xbox Game Pass Core, a new tier for the subscription service that will also become its cheapest one at $9.99/month, which is the same as Xbox Live Gold’s current monthly subscription fee.

The Core tier will reportedly include access to online multiplayer for non-free-to-play titles, as well as member deals and discounts, which are also offered with other Game Pass tiers. All Xbox Live Gold subscriptions will allegedly be automatically converted to Xbox Game Pass Core subscriptions on September 1, while any and all games that you got for free via Games with Gold will remain in your account.

Speaking of which, the report claims that Games with Gold, with offers a new selection of free games to subscribers every month, is also being replaced. Apparently set to be discontinued on September 9, it will be replaced with Xbox Game Pass Core instead offering a library of over 25 free games to members, which will reportedly continued to expand following launch.

At launch, the last of games will allegedly include Among Us, Descenders, Dishonored 2, DOOM Eternal, Fable Anniversary, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5, Grounded, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Wars 2, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Human Fall Flat, Inside, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Psychonauts 2, State of Decay 2, and Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.

Microsoft has yet to officially announce this, but it’s possible that concrete word on these upcoming changes will arrive sooner rather than later.

Last month, Microsoft announced that it was increasing the prices of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions, as well as the price for Xbox Series X, in several markets except for US, Japan, Chile, Brazil and Columbia. Meanwhile, earlier this month, it was confirmed that Microsoft had reintroduced its $1 introductory deal for PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.