As is natural in the life cycle of gaming subscription services, games made available through the platform must one day retreat back behind their regular price of admission. That day is soon to come for these games leaving Game Pass on Xbox.
Xbox Games Pass Games Leaving in August
- Sea of Stars
- Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition
- This War of Mine: Final Cut
- Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay
- Ben 10: Power Trip
Taking a look at the first and most popular three of these can help you to decide whether to play them before they leave Game Pass at the end of August.
Sea of Stars
Inspired by classic JRPG games like Chrono Trigger, Sea of Stars is a pixelated adventure through a colourful and nostalgic world that evokes much of the same sights and sounds of those older classics.
Originally releasing in 2023 as a single-player game, developers Sabotage Studio later launched Dawn of Equinox; a free update that added co-op for up to three players, alongside some changes to the mechanical and narrative flow of the game.
Borderlands 3
While perhaps not the most acclaimed entry in the looter shooter RPG franchise, it’s arguably a good place to familiarise yourself with the rhythms of the game before the much-anticipated Borderlands 4 release in October 2025.
As with Sea of Stars, Borderlands 3 can be played co-operatively either online or in the comfort of your own home through split-screen, which supports up to four players. If this is your first time with the Borderlands series, getting a taste of the gameplay rhythm and tone can help to prime you for the past and future of the franchise.
This War of Mine
Developed by 11 Bit Studios, the team behind Frostpunk and its sequel as well as recent survival hit The Alters, This War of Mine is a survival game that adopts the perspective of normal people trying to survive in a war.
This is something that’s surprisingly rare in games, with the player usually being put in a position of power through strategy games or military shooters. Experiencing the civilian perspective can be a powerful and important experience, something that’s aided by a tight and stressful gameplay loop that can keep you coming back to achieve the best possible outcome.
