Xbox Game Pass August 2026 Wave Two: What to Play and What Is Leaving
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy leads the second August Game Pass wave. Here is the clean release calendar, plus the games leaving on August 31.
Xbox's second Game Pass update for August is a broad one: a day-one narrative adventure, several smaller action games, a cosy life sim and a short deadline for some major departures.
Here is the schedule published by Xbox on August 18. Availability varies by tier and platform, so check the Xbox app before downloading.
The release calendar
| Date | Game | Platforms highlighted by Xbox |
|---|---|---|
| August 18 | Egging On | Cloud, Series X|S, handheld, PC |
| August 19 | Vapor World: Over the Mind | Cloud, console, PC |
| August 19 | BlazBlue Entropy Effect X | Cloud, Series X|S, PC |
| August 19 | Relooted | Cloud, Series X|S, PC |
| August 20 | Starsand Island | Cloud, Series X|S, PC |
| August 25 | Aerial_Knight's DropShot | Cloud, Series X|S, handheld, PC |
| August 25 | Blood Dungeon | Cloud, Series X|S, PC |
| August 27 | Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy | Cloud, Series X|S, handheld, PC |
| August 31 | Young Suns | Cloud, console, PC |
The standout is Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, available on day one for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It follows Sophia on Minotaur's Island and mixes exploration, combat and puzzle solving with the series' established mythology.
Three good starting points
Choose Resonance if you want a focused story game. Choose Starsand Island if you need something low-pressure and pastoral. Choose Blood Dungeon if you prefer compact runs, platforming and gradual upgrades.
Vapor World: Over the Mind is the wildcard: a narrative souls-like platformer built around deflection combat. Relooted has the most distinctive premise, framing its heists around reclaiming African artefacts from Western museums.
Games leaving August 31
Xbox lists five departures for the end of the month:
- Another Crab's Treasure
- I Am Your Beast
- Neon Abyss
- One Lonely Outpost
- The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt — Remastered Edition
NBA 2K26 is scheduled to leave on September 6.
If you are already deep into The Witcher 3, the calendar matters more than the new arrivals. Finish your current quest line or check the subscriber purchase discount before August 31. For shorter games, I Am Your Beast is the more realistic end-of-month completion.
A sensible download plan
Game Pass lists can encourage downloading everything and playing nothing. Pick one long game, one short game and leave the rest in your "play later" queue. For this wave, Resonance plus Blood Dungeon is a balanced pair. Add Starsand Island only if you know you want a slower alternative.
This guide reflects the official August 18 announcement; catalog availability can differ by region and subscription tier.
