XBOX Game Pass August 2026 Wave 1 Lineup

XBOX is starting August off strong, with a dozen additions in the Wave 1 lineup plus early access to the Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta. Headlining the wave is Beast of Reincarnation (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC), available today, August 4, as a day one release for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. Game Freak’s “one-person, one-dog” action RPG blends real-time and turn-based combat as Emma and her canine companion Koo journey through a beautiful yet harsh world, and it lands right at the start of a packed August for new releases.

Also available today is Heretic + Hexen on Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, XBOX Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass subscribers. The enhanced restoration of the two classic dark fantasy shooters brings expanded accessibility and broader platform and language support to a pair of games that helped shape the genre.

Starting August 6, XBOX Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members get early access to the Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta, which introduces Horde Siege, an evolved take on the series’ signature co-op wave survival mode built for larger maps, more players, and bigger battles. As we covered in June, E-Day launches October 6 as an XBOX console exclusive, where it will also be a day one release on the service.

August 6 brings two more additions. Monsters are Coming! expands to XBOX Series X|S and Cloud, joining the PC version already on the service for all three tiers. In my review, I said the tower-survivor roguelite has the makings of something addictive, though some strange design choices keep it short of the genre’s best, and it’s still worth a look if you’re a fan of survivor-likes. PowerWash Simulator 2 joins the same day on Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC for all three tiers, bringing new locations, upgraded equipment, and co-op cleaning to the famously soothing series.

August 11 is the busiest day of the wave, with three titles arriving at once. Bounty Star lands on Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC for all three tiers, an over-the-shoulder action game that mixes mech combat and customization with farming and base building, starring a broken but talented ex-soldier named Clem. Date Everything! (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) is a sandbox dating sim set entirely inside your home, complete with 100 fully voiced datable characters, including your smoke alarm. Rounding out the day is Grounded 2, which joins XBOX Game Pass Premium as a Game Preview title alongside Into The Abyss, its largest update yet. In our first impressions, we said the foundation is solid and that Buggies, the rideable insect companions, are the most significant addition to the formula.

Ball x Pit follows on August 12 on Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC, joining Game Pass Premium so it’s now available across all three tiers. This comes less than a week after its final free update drops on August 6. As one of our favorite games of 2025, it really fed into our roguelite craze last year, and as I said in my review, it takes the classic gameplay of 1976’s Breakout and layers on modern mechanics for something genuinely unique and addictive.

August 13 brings another trio. Cricket 26 (Cloud, Console, and PC) arrives for all three tiers with a new management career and an expanded Ashes mode. Mio: Memories in Orbit (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) is a handcrafted metroidvania starring a nimble android exploring a decaying world reclaimed by nature and rogue machines, also on all three tiers. The day’s final addition is Sandustry (PC), a day one Game Preview release for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, a factory game where every pixel of its fully destructible world is a mineable resource. Closing out the wave on August 18 is Egging On (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) for all three tiers, a physics platformer about guiding a very fragile egg past a farm shop, a factory, and other perilous environments.

Beyond the new additions, the EA Sports Madden NFL 27 EA Play Early Access Trial begins August 6, giving XBOX Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members up to 10 hours of play. Subscribers can also claim Game Pass Pack 7 now, a free in-game bundle for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone. And for those who missed it, select original XBOX classics arrived on PC and supported handhelds on July 22, the same day Tears of Metal (PC) hit the service as a Game Preview title, a co-op action roguelite where you fight to reclaim your island alongside a Scottish battalion.

The following games are leaving the XBOX Game Pass library on August 15, 2026. XBOX Game Pass subscribers can save 20 percent on these titles before they leave the service.

Menace (Game Preview) (PC)
Atlas Fallen (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Aliens: Fireteam Elite (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Firewatch (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Make sure to also check the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for August 2026 if you’re a multi-platform subscriber, and our XBOX Game Pass July 2026 Wave 2 Lineup post for the additions that closed out last month.