Microsoft is dropping eight acclaimed titles from Xbox Game Pass on July 31, 2026, including high-scoring hits Celeste and Crusader Kings 3. The rotation comes alongside a second-wave lineup featuring day-one releases like Halo: Campaign Evolved, while a separate batch of four departures is already scheduled for mid-August.
Eight Major Titles Exit Xbox Game Pass on July 31
The departure wave features some of the subscription service’s highest-rated and longest-serving games, shaking up the catalog right at the end of the month.
A mid-month update initially flagged seven departures, but a cozy city builder called Whiskerwood—which had been on the service since November 2025—was added to the final chopping block. The cuts are headlined by Celeste, a renowned platformer holding a 92 average score on OpenCritic, and Crusader Kings 3, which carries a 91 OpenCritic average.
Crusader Kings 3 stands out as one of the platform’s longest-serving veterans. It originally joined the service as a day-one release in September 2020, meaning its departure closes out a run of nearly six years according to the reporting outlet. That exit follows the late-June departure of Payday 2, which wrapped up a nine-year stint on the platform.
Full List of July 31 Departures and Stint Durations
Players looking to finish up campaigns before the games vanished had until the end of the day on July 31 to do so.
| Game Title | Date Added | Stint Duration | OpenCritic Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Friendly Neighborhood | July 2025 | 1 year | 79 |
| Whiskerwood | November 2025 | 8 months | N/A |
| Back to the Dawn | July 2025 | 1 year | 79 |
| Celeste | August 2023 | 2 years, 11 months | 92 |
| Crusader Kings III | September 2020 | 5 years, 10 months | 91 |
| Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord | February 2023 | 3 years, 5 months | 76 |
| Rain World | August 2025 | 11 months | 69 |
| Sniper Elite: Resistance | January 2025 | 1 year, 6 months | 73 |
While the games are leaving the active subscription library, subscribers can purchase them at a discount while they remain accessible as noted by IGN.
Four More Departures Headed for Mid-August 2026
The rotation of the catalog rolls straight into the next month. Microsoft has already flagged four additional titles that will exit Xbox Game Pass in early August, with those departures highlighted as leaving soon on the official Xbox mobile app according to Purexbox.
Among the confirmed August departures are Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand and Aliens: Fireteam Elite, with the latter set to see a sequel land on Xbox later in the month. Subscribers have until August 15 to pick up any of these departing titles at a discount of at least 20% before they exit the service completely.
Day-One Additions Balance Out the Mid-Summer Rotation
To offset the departures, Microsoft’s summer lineup has brought heavy hitters to the platform. The July wave introduced major additions including Halo: Campaign Evolved as a day-one launch via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Other arrivals include Shift at Midnight, Hell is Us, and Mistfall Hunter.
August is keeping the momentum going. Beast of Reincarnation, a post-apocalyptic action RPG from Pokémon developer Game Freak, launched on August 4 for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers as detailed in Microsoft network reporting, though it is excluded from the Game Pass Premium tier according to Eurogamer. Classic fantasy shooters Heretic + Hexen also joined on August 4 for Game Pass Premium, Ultimate, and PC subscribers.
Further additions scheduled across the month include Monsters Are Coming! on August 6, factory-building title Sandustry on August 13, murder-mystery farming sim Grave Seasons on August 14, and Plague Tale universe entry Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy on August 27.
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