While Xbox Game Pass constantly receives new titles, it’s also common for games to leave the service every 15 days. At the end of August, Xbox Game Pass will bid farewell to some particularly noteworthy titles. If you’re a fan of sports games, fighting games, or narrative-driven first-person shooters, you’ll want to make time to play at least one of these games this weekend.
Don’t worry about these games leaving Xbox Game Pass forever. Xbox is planning to release several new titles on the service this fall, including Age of Mythology: Retold, Ara: History Untold, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Towerborne, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Atomic Heart
Atomic Heart is a captivating first-person shooter with stunning visuals and a unique sense of humor. The game throws players into a post-apocalyptic Russian dystopia, where they must battle a variety of mechanical and biological monstrosities. The combat is both entertaining and flashy, with an arsenal of wild weapons and abilities at your disposal. With a year and a half worth of updates, technical issues have been resolved, and the Trapped in Limbo and Annihilation Instinct DLC expand the content even further.
Atomic Heart leaves Xbox Game Pass on August 31st. After that, you’ll need to purchase the game for PC, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X/S.
Guilty Gear Strive
Though not as widely known as Street Fighter or Tekken, the Guilty Gear series has a dedicated fanbase. Guilty Gear Strive is the most recent, and arguably the best, game in the series. It delivers the complex depth expected from a 2D fighting game, alongside exceptional visuals. Arc System Works, leveraging the visual style established with Dragon Ball FighterZ, has made Guilty Gear Strive feel like a playable anime. The game is still actively being updated, with Lucy from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners joining the roster next year.
Before Guilty Gear Strive leaves Xbox Game Pass on August 31st, try out a few matches. You might find yourself hooked. After leaving Game Pass, it will be available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
NBA 2K24
With the release of NBA 2K25 on September 6th, 2K is removing NBA 2K24 from Xbox Game Pass shortly before that date. Visual Concepts’ basketball game series is renowned for its quality, and it’s considered one of the best sports games available. NBA 2K24 refines the on-court gameplay, introducing features like cross-platform play and improved animations. If you enjoy this annual sports game series but have been playing the latest iteration through Microsoft’s subscription service, now is the perfect time to get some more games in.
Like the other titles mentioned, NBA 2K24 will leave Xbox Game Pass on August 31st. It will then be available for purchase on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. An Arcade Edition is also available through Apple Arcade.
