Latest Xbox Game News & Updates
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🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox Game Pass New Games For July Revealed
Amidst a lot of bad news at Xbox(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/) this week--including its CEO mentioning how Game Pass hasn't exactly paid off(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-xbox-ceo-admits-game-pass-bet-has-not-worked-out/)-- the company has also revealed the first wave of titles being added to the Game Pass library in July 2026. This month's new additions run across a wide variety of genres, and a day-one release is also mixed among them. Here's a closer look at everything that's on the way, which platforms these games will be available for, and which tier of Game Pass you'll need to play them. Available today, Winds of Arcana: Ruination follows the protagonist Aryn and his comrades as they explore a broken world in this 2.5D action Metroidvania. With plenty of peril along the way, players will have to wield magic and power up as they uncover ancient mysteries. July 9 will see two more games go live on Game Pass--Gears of War: Reloaded(https://www.gamespot.com/games/gears-of-war/) and Tamashika(https://www.gamespot.com/games/tamashika/). The remake of the very first Gears of War game will now be available through Game Pass Premium--it's already available through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass--while Tamashika is a fast-paced arcade-style corridor-shooter where you have to lock in and react quickly while the world changes around you. Starting July 13, there'll be a new game released daily on Game Pass for almost a week. Things kick off with the day-one launch of the time-bending Hades-like Ascend to Zero(https://www.gamespot.com/games/ascend-to-zero/), and it'll be followed by PBA Pro Bowling 2026, the harsh action of Quarantine Zone: The Last Check, the sporty multiplayer game Mavrix, and the co-op extraction platformer FixForce. You can also look forward to Fogpiercer, a sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder that tasks you with choo-choo-choosing the right course of action when your train comes under fire from bandits looking to derail your adventure. Rounding out the first wave of Game Pass in July is the open-world base-building game The Planet Crafter, and maybe you can pretend to be Superman in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2(https://www.gamespot.com/games/tony-hawks-pro-skater-1-plus-2/). Several games will also receive updates in July, with the most notable one being the 1.0 release of Palworld. There'll be new locations to explore and new characters to meet as the hit survival and crafting game. At the same time, you can also expect to see several games exit the Game Pass service(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-game-pass-is-removing-a-lot-of-games-very-soon/) this month. A total of 11 games are on their way out, with some of the noticeable departures being Golf With Your Friends, Stellaris, EA Sports FC 24, PowerWash Simulator, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Xbox Game Pass July Wave 1 Additions !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/XBP-July-2026-Wave-1.jpg?w=1024) July 6 Winds of Arcana: Ruination (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) - Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass July 9 Gears of War: Reloaded (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) - Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass Tamashika (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) - Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass July 13 Ascend to Zero (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) - Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass July 14 PBA Pro Bowling 2026 (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) - Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass July 15 Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) - Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass July 16 Mavrix by Matt Jones (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) - Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass July 17 FixForce (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) - Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass Fogpiercer (PC) - Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass July 21 The Planet Crafter (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) - Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) - Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass The Best Xbox Game Pass Games In 2026 !4499283-game-pass-2025.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1601/16018044/4499283-game-pass-2025.jpg?w=1024) !4674631-absolum.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1601/16018044/4674631-absolum.jpg?w=1024) !4517812-the-alters.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1601/16018044/4517812-the-alters.jpg?w=1024) !4656146-avatar.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1601/16018044/4656146-avatar.jpg?w=1024) !4451894-4356216-avowedscreencombatkaixaurip.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1585/15855271/4451894-4356216-avowedscreencombatkaixaurip.jpg?w=1024) !4451893-4270078-sse32ac94d7d1d6be7dd015d78f2b52aeb4cc282ed.1920x1080.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1585/15855271/4451893-4270078-sse32ac94d7d1d6be7dd015d78f2b52aeb4cc282ed.1920x1080.jpg?w=1024) !4474783-ssd04f2e766f538d3680b28574ec97f06b3274aafc.jpg(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/original/1585/15855271/4474783-ssd04f2e766f538d3680b28574ec97f06b3274aafc.jpg?w=1024) View Images(https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/best-xbox-game-pass-games/2900-4001/)
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox Wants To Entertain 1 Billion People Every Day. It Can’t Even Explain How
!(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1-billion-DAU.jpg?w=1024) 1 Billion DAU! Following the announcement that Xbox will cut its workforce(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/) by 20%--with 1,600 employees already laid off(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-ceo-reflects-on-massive-cuts-we-simply-spread-ourselves-too-thin/) in the first wave of retrenchments--Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has detailed plans for the company to reach an absurd number of people every day. "I want Xbox to be one of the few companies that entertains more than a billion people each day and gives everyone the opportunity to create and connect. I know we can achieve this goal. Xbox has many of the most beloved franchises in entertainment history, talented studios around the world, and we will return to growth in 2027," Sharma wrote in a blog post about the "restructuring" of Xbox. Reaching 1 billion people per day is a massive number, but is it feasible when Xbox will be operating with fewer studios(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/state-of-decay-and-hellblade-devs-are-being-sold-but-buyers-remain-mysterious-for-now/) and people? That would account for roughly one in every eight people daily, and a large chunk of the world's population doesn't have access to Xbox services, probably aren't too concerned with the company to begin with, or aren't in a position to jump on the Xbox bandwagon--how many infants have you seen in a Call of Duty lobby lately? !(https://www.gamespot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Xbox.png?w=1022) The key here is the wording behind Sharma's statement, as she wrote that she wants Xbox to entertain a billion people per day, not 1 billion Xbox players. That leaves a lot of room for interpretation, and mobile gaming will likely be expected to do a lot of the heavy lifting for Xbox going forward. Candy Crush developer King will report directly to Sharma as part of the Xbox restructuring, and Minecraft studio Mojang will also have a direct line to the CEO. While exact numbers are hard to come by, previous reports have indicated that Minecraft and Candy Crush still have sizable daily active users. Back in 2021, Minecraft reached a milestone of 140 million monthly active users(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-reached-140-million-monthly-users-and-generated-over-350-million-to-date/1100-6490962/), and that userbase has likely remained high thanks to the release of the blockbuster Minecraft movie. Candy Crush has been downloaded billions of times over the years, but according to Sensor Tower, the game has around 26 million people playing it daily. Even at their peak, Minecraft and Candy Crush combined aren't anywhere close to the lofty DAU number that Sharma is aiming for. Of course, numerous other games on Xbox still have dedicated players, but even when bundled in and including their availability on multiple platforms, they're not going to be moving the needle much closer to the 1 billion mark. Including third-party games in the calculations--think Fortnite alongside Microsoft heavyweights like World of Warcraft and Sea of Thieves--does add to the player tally, but these games are far from their peak years, which saw millions of monthly active users. To put this into perspective, Steam's record for the highest number of concurrent users is 42.6 million people(https://steamdb.info/app/753/charts/). Considering that Steam is the largest PC platform currently, Xbox would be aiming to do 23 times better than Valve's PC gaming platform on its best day. Across its gaming ecosystem, Microsoft reported in 2025(https://www.microsoft.com/investor/reports/ar25/index.html) that it had 500 million monthly active users across PC, console, mobile, and cloud.How it plans to reach double that figure and achieve it on a daily basis is unclear. Especially when we don't even know what Xbox means when it says it wants to "entertain" 1 billion people every day. While Sharma's goals are ambitious, they don't seem realistic either.
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox layoffs show it was too big not to fail
Asha Sharma cuts back Microsoft's gaming operation and drops studios including Double Fine and Ninja Theory while pointing the finger at Phil Spencer
🎮 PlayStation, Xbox, Multi-platformWhat an all-digital PlayStation means for the games industry
Sony's decision to stop producing physical video games is fueled by a desire to increase profits from a shrinking consumer base
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox’s bold plan for the future sounds nearly impossible
It's another bad week for the video game industry. Microsoft outlined a series of layoffs on Monday that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma described as "the most significant restructure in Xbox history." But buried in Sharma's memo was a curiously optimistic statement: "I want Xbox to be one of the few companies that entertains more than &8230;
🖥 Xbox, PCIt looks like Blizzard's escaped Xbox's grim reset scythe for now, though there's still time to be caught in the second 1600-strong layoff wave coming 2027
I'm sure this is great for morale.
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformGame Pass could see major change under new Xbox restructure
Xbox announced sweeping changes in early July, which could have downstream effects on every part of the business, including its Game Pass service.
🖥 Xbox, PCThe games industry reacts to Xbox layoffs: 'We are clearly at a turning point'
3,200 employees are being put out of work, and people have thoughts.
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox layoffs hit Bethesda: Elder Scrolls Online developer 'gutted'
On Monday, Xbox announced significant layoffs. Bethesda has been reportedly hit hard by job losses, especially the Elder Scrolls Online team.
🖥 PlayStation, Xbox, PCAncient Sanctuary walkthrough - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
!(https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/ultimate-sakapatate-header-image.jpg?width=690&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp) Welcome to our 100% walkthrough for Ancient Sanctuary, a stopover before you get to the Gestral Village in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33(https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/clair-obscur-expedition-33). While not as large as Flying Waters(https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/clair-obscur-expedition-33-flying-waters-walkthrough), this maze-like forest realm is packed with twisting corridors and some very annoying enemies, as these sly Gestrals just won't stop attacking you in their ramshackle wooden mechs! Those wooden mechs - or Sakapatate, as they're called in-game - come in all shapes and sizes, with big shields, mounted guns that unleash waves of buckshot, and mannequin clubs. It's almost like these little guys don't want us to show up in their village and buy all of the goodies they have for sale. In this guide, we'll offer a 100% walkthrough of Ancient Sanctuary in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, telling you everything you need to know to survive the Sakapatate onslaught and find all of the area's secrets in the Sanctuary Maze. Read more(https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/clair-obscur-expedition-33-ancient-sanctuary-walkthrough)
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platform“Catastrophic Mismanagement” And AI Gambits Led To Mass Xbox Layoffs, Expert Says
Microsoft has announced sweeping layoffs and other dramatic changes resulting in 4,800 layoffs across the company(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/), including 3,200 at Xbox specifically. What's led to this? According to one expert, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and his "catastrophic mismanagement" of the company is to blame. Ed Zitron, an author who specializes in covering the technology space and is the CEO of EZ Primary Research, offered a blistering take(https://x.com/edzitron/status/2074201562843418672) on Microsoft's management in response to the mass layoffs. "Catastrophic mismanagement by a company run by a sub-McKinsean imbecile that hires other losers to move money around to hide how bad his AI plays are. Microsoft is a disgrace to the software industry," he said. Zitron has been an outspoken critic of elements of AI in particular, recently appearing on CNBC(https://x.com/edzitron/status/2072703921768837195) to offer the bear case against generative AI. "One of the biggest lies of the AI bubble is that Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta are 'growing because of AI,'" he said recently. "In reality, they're using the continued growth of their other business units to cover the meager returns from AI, and the massive waste of their trillion+ in capex." Microsoft, of course, is massively invested in AI, and Zitron appears to be suggesting here that some of the issues that led to these dramatic cuts at Xbox are in some ways tied to Microsoft's AI plays. In its statement today addressing the cuts(https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/07/06/the-latest-in-our-company-transformation/), Microsoft said it is laying off thousands of people because the world is changing and Microsoft is attempting to adapt. Microsoft also pushed back against the theory that the roles eliminated today are being replaced by AI, though the company did admit that, "AI is changing how work gets done." Investors tend to reward companies that cut costs, but that doesn't appear to be the case this time with Microsoft, as the company's stock price is down today. That continues a trend for Microsoft, as shares are down 18% year-to-date and 22% in the past year. The cuts to Xbox include not just staff layoffs, but also Microsoft divesting of five development studios. Double Fine and Compulsion are regaining their independence(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-layoffs-studio-closures-and-spin-offs-everything-announced-today/), while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs are being sold(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/state-of-decay-and-hellblade-devs-are-being-sold-but-buyers-remain-mysterious-for-now/). Arkane Lyon, meanwhile, is in the "consultation" process to determine its fate and the fate of Marvel's Blade.(https://www.gamespot.com/articles/heres-whats-going-on-with-marvels-blade-and-its-developer-amid-xbox-reset/)
🟩 Xbox, Multi-platformXbox Game Pass subscriber numbers have fallen massively short
Xbox Game Pass is reportedly at around 30 million subscribers, which shows a steep decline and way below targets.