Every Game New to Xbox Game Pass for August 2025

Microsoft’s Game Pass continues to be one of the greatest deals to be had in gaming, as evidenced by the service’s regular addition of great older games and exciting day 1 releases. The new games arriving on Xbox Game Pass for August 2025 are a mix of each, with plenty of highly anticipated titles launching on the service day and date with their retail releases, and several other critically acclaimed and beloved games making their way to the Standard tier of Game Pass as part of the service’s monthly additions. Here’s everything that came to both the Standard and Ultimate tiers of Game Pass for both Xbox and PC in the month of August.

• Release Date — November 12, 2024
• Developer — Giants Software
• Publisher — Giants Software
• Review Aggregate Score — 75% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 1

You might think that a game simulating running a farm wouldn’t be all that exciting, but you’d be wrong. The Farming Simulator series is hugely popular specifically because it taps into a true-to-life approximation of one of the world’s oldest and most important professions, and it makes for some compelling gameplay to boot.

• Release Date — July 11, 2023
• Developer — Videocult
• Publisher — Akupara Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 66% (Mixed or Average)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 5

Videocult’s Rain World is a game like no other. Part Metroidvania and part sadistic ecosystem simulator, Rain World prides itself on having a fully functioning biome filled with flora and fauna that go about their activities regardless of your presence, and that includes you being caught up in the food chain. But if you can stick with it through its hyper-challenging beginning, few games offer the kind of immersion and atmosphere that Rain World does.

• Release Date — January 31, 2025
• Developer — Jump Over the Age
• Publisher — Fellow Traveler
• Review Aggregate Score — 86% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 6

One of this year’s hidden gems is Citizen Sleeper 2, which, much like its predecessor, delivers a compelling sci-fi story with old-school, text-based RPG gameplay. There aren’t many games made nowadays that are like Citizen Sleeper 2, and it’s arguably the perfect kind of title for players to try out virtually risk-free on Game Pass.

• Release Date — January 21, 2025
• Developer — Megagon Industries
• Publisher — Megagon Industries
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 6

The original Lonely Mountains: Downhill was an excellent physics-based mountain biking game with a charming, low-poly art style, and its snow-based sequel — Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders — arrived on Game Pass as part of August’s additions. As you’d expect, there are a lot of similarities between Downhill and Snow Riders, with the biggest difference being the use of skis and snowboards instead of a mountain bike.

• Release Date — October 16, 2024
• Developer — Piranha Games
• Publisher — Piranha Games
• Review Aggregate Score — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 6

The long-running MechWarrior series made a bit of a comeback with the recent MechWarrior 5: Clans, which takes the franchise’s first-person mech piloting combat and translates it seamlessly into a 5-player co-op shooter. It’s a great game to hop into with a few friends who also happen to have Game Pass, making its Standard tier inclusion a huge bonus.

• Release Date — January 28, 2025
• Developer — Robot Entertainment
• Publisher — Robot Entertainment
• Review Aggregate Score — 69% (Mixed or Average)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 6

The latest Orcs Must Die! game, Deathtrap, takes the series’ classic tower defense and strategy gameplay and merges it with a third-person shooter, and it’s now available on the Standard tier of Game Pass just a few months after its initial release. While critics weren’t that thrilled with the series’ pivot in perspective, the title’s inclusion on Game Pass allows players to try it out for themselves to see if it clicks at a fraction of its normal cost.

• Release Date — October 17, 2024
• Developer — Ubisoft Bordeaux
• Publisher — Ubisoft
• Review Aggregate Score — 76% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 7 (Not Available on Game Pass Standard)

In between the series’ larger, more open-world games, the Assassin’s Creed franchise went back to basics with Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and it’s a perfect title for Game Pass. Mirage‘s shorter length and more streamlined gameplay make it one of the rare newer Assassin’s Creed games that players could reasonably finish in under a month, and it’s a nice callback to the Assassin’s Creed formula that longtime fans remember from the original trilogy.

• Release Date — August 7, 2025
• Developer — Raven Software, Nightdive Studios
• Publisher — Bethesda Softworks
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 7 (Not Available on Game Pass Standard)

Nightdive Studios’ surprise remaster of Heretic + Hexen was a nice, unexpected treat to get in August, and its day 1 arrival on Game Pass Ultimate is even sweeter. Both of these classic FPS titles are some of the better non-Doom games of the era, and their hybrid of RPG classes and progression with FPS gameplay still feels unique and original.

• Release Date — August 14, 2025
• Developer — Tiburon
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Review Aggregate Score — 79% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 7 (Not Available on Game Pass Standard)

One of the more interesting Game Pass additions for August is the arrival of EA Sports Madden NFL 26 on the service in the form of an extended game trial. While players can’t yet play the full version of Madden NFL 26 on Game Pass, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can enjoy a 10-hour trial where their save will carry over to the full game should they decide to purchase afterwards.

• Release Date — August 24, 2021
• Developer — Cold Iron Studios
• Publisher — Focus Entertainment
• Review Aggregate Score — 69% (Mixed or Average)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 12 (Not Available on Game Pass Standard)

Co-op shooters are great for Xbox Game Pass due to their quick and satisfying gameplay, and one of the genre’s best made its way to the service in August. Aliens: Fireteam Elite is the perfect kind of game to come to Game Pass, and its return to the service (it initially launched on Game Pass as a day 1 title) couldn’t have been better timed with the release of Alien: Earth on FX/Hulu. It might not be worth spending $30 on as a standalone game, but it’s absolutely worth crushing through the campaign with a friend as one of the many games you can play for the cost of a month of Game Pass Ultimate.

• Release Date — August 12, 2025
• Developer — Ninja Theory
• Publisher — Xbox Game Studios
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 12 (Not Available on Game Pass Standard)

After originally launching on Xbox Series X/S as a console exclusive, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II recently received an Enhanced Edition port for PS5 that also launched day and date on Xbox Game Pass. While there’s no real reason to play the Enhanced Edition if you’ve already experienced Hellblade II, there’s never been a better time for newcomers to check out this engrossing narrative-led action-adventure game.

• Release Date — May 23, 2025
• Developer — Sad Socket
• Publisher — Hooded Horse, INSTINCT3
• Review Aggregate Score — N/A
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 14 (Game Pass for PC)

Imagine Age of Empires merging with a deckbuilding roguelike, and you’re not too far off from what 9 Kings delivers. If that combination sounds interesting to you, you’re in luck, as the currently-in-Early-Access game is now available on Game Pass for PC. There aren’t many roguelike city builders out there, but 9 Kings is one of the few that stand out next to highlights like Against the Storm.

• Release Date — May 15, 2025
• Developer — Untitled Studio
• Publisher — Hooded Horse
• Review Aggregate Score — N/A
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 19 (Game Pass for PC)

Another Game Pass for PC exclusive to make its way to the service for August is another Early Access title, Blacksmith Master. As the name implies, Blacksmith Master is a simulation game in which you craft weapons for your medieval village and take a hand in every step of the process — from mining ore and smelting it to crafting and then selling the wares you smith.

• Release Date — August 19, 2025
• Developer — Stubby Games
• Publisher — Playstack
• Review Aggregate Score — N/A
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 19 (Game Pass for PC)

Stubby Games’ VOID/BREAKER is one of the best new FPS roguelikes, and it just so happens to have been a day 1 launch on Game Pass for PC to coincide with its Gamescom Opening Night Live shadow-drop. If you have even the slightest bit of fondness for games like Ghostrunner or Titanfall 2, VOID/BREAKER needs to be high up on your “to play” list.

• Release Date — November 7, 2024
• Developer — Coffee Stain Studios, Coffee Stain North, Deep Silver Fishlabs
• Publisher — Coffee Stain Publishing
• Review Aggregate Score — 65% (Mixed or Average)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 20

As hilarious and irreverent as it’s always been, Goat Simulator: Remastered is back in action on Game Pass Standard this month. This wildly absurd and entertaining action-adventure game about causing as much mayhem as possible in the shoes (or is it hooves?) of a goat is the perfect kind of title to download on Game Pass and spend an afternoon with.

• Release Date — January 19, 2023
• Developer — Atlus
• Publisher — Sega
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 20

One of the best additions to Game Pass Standard for the month of August is Persona 4 Golden, which finally makes its way to the service after a little more than 2 years of being available on Xbox Series X/S. While Persona 5 might have the best and most refined version of the series’ gameplay, there are plenty of reasons (story, setting, and characters among them) that Persona 4 Golden still ranks as many franchise fans’ favorite.

• Release Date — August 20, 2025
• Developer — Evil Empire
• Publisher — Ubisoft
• Review Aggregate Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 20 (Not Available on Game Pass Standard)

Evil Empire’s The Rogue Prince of Persia just came out of Early Access and launched into 1.0, and to celebrate its arrival on consoles, the title also came to Game Pass Ultimate. The Rogue Prince of Persia is Evil Empire’s first original roguelike after working on Dead Cells‘ post-launch content for years, and that pedigree shines through in its satisfying movement, combat, and progression curve.

• Release Date — August 21, 2025
• Developer — Okomotive
• Publisher — Panic
• Review Aggregate Score — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 21 (Not Available on Game Pass Standard)

One of last week’s additions to Game Pass Ultimate was the new adventure game Herdling, which is already getting a positive reception from both players and critics alike. Developer Okomotive’s previous game, FAR: Lone Sails, was another excellent and atmospheric adventure game with a unique premise, so Game Pass subscribers should take advantage of the risk-free chance to try out Herdling and its magical animal-herding adventure.

• Release Date — August 26, 2025
• Developer — The Coalition
• Publisher — Xbox Game Studios
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 26 (Not Available on Game Pass Standard)

Yesterday’s launch of Gears of War: Reloaded was a momentous occasion, with the franchise finally making its way to PS5 after decades of being one of the most important Xbox exclusives. To celebrate, The Coalition and Xbox Game Studios also brought Reloaded to Game Pass Ultimate as a day 1 addition, where players can hop in and experience the first Gears of War campaign all over again with friends on multiple platforms.

• Release Date — October 31, 2024
• Developer — BioWare
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Xbox Game Pass Arrival Date — August 28 (Not Available on Game Pass Standard)

While Dragon Age: The Veilguard found itself unable to live up to many longtime fans’ expectations for the series after Inquisition, it’s still a fun and worthwhile action RPG with some great combat. It’s not the best RPG you’ll play this year (or any year), but it is the perfect kind of game to try out via Game Pass, which you now can as long as you happen to be a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.