Updated
Updated · Military.com · Jul 20
Xbox Game Pass Drops 7 Titles on July 31 as 2 Top-1% Games Exit
Updated
Updated · Military.com · Jul 20

Xbox Game Pass Drops 7 Titles on July 31 as 2 Top-1% Games Exit

3 articles · Updated · Military.com · Jul 20

Summary

  • Seven games are currently listed to leave Xbox Game Pass on July 31, led by Crusader Kings 3 and Celeste, after Microsoft updated the Xbox app's "Leaving Soon" section on July 19.
  • Crusader Kings 3 holds a 91 OpenCritic score and sits in the 99th percentile, while Celeste scores 92 and ranks in the 100th percentile, making the removals a hit to both quality and genre variety.
  • The provisional list also includes My Friendly Neighborhood, Back to the Dawn, Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, Rain World, and Sniper Elite: Resistance.
  • Microsoft's app-based departure lists can change before the official biweekly roadmap; earlier in July, Game Pass ended up losing 2 fewer titles than first indicated.
  • If unchanged, the July 31 wave would deepen a heavy month of churn for the service after 11 games already left on July 15.

Insights

As Microsoft overhauls Game Pass for profit, is the golden age of game subscriptions already over for players and indie developers?
Is Xbox's Game Pass pivot a shrewd move for long-term profit or a betrayal of the 34 million subscribers who built its success?