Game Pass has another busy week ahead, but this time there is an important distinction between the games arriving.
There are three genuine new additions to the scheme (Date Everything!, Cricket 26 and Sandustry), while Grounded 2, Bounty Star, Ball x Pit and Mio: Memories in Orbit are expanding to the new Game Pass Premium tier.
That still makes for a pretty varied few days, with Grounded 2 arguably the biggest name in the bunch. Here’s what’s coming, what’s changing and which games are heading out of the service during the week ahead.
At A Glance
- August 11th: Bounty Star – Now with Game Pass Premium
- August 11th: Date Everything! – New to Game Pass
- August 11th: Grounded 2 – Game Preview, now with Game Pass Premium
- August 12th: Ball x Pit – Now with Game Pass Premium
- August 13th: Cricket 26 – New to Game Pass
- August 13th: Mio: Memories in Orbit – Now with Game Pass Premium
- August 13th: Sandustry – Game Preview, new to Game Pass
- Leaving August 15th: Menace, Atlas Fallen, Aliens: Fireteam Elite and Firewatch
Grounded 2 Expands Its Game Pass Reach
The biggest arrival of the week is Grounded 2, which continues its Game Preview run. Come August 11th this one expands tiers and whilst it isn’t a completely new Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass addition – the change is that it is now also available through Game Pass Premium, while joining Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Obsidian Entertainment‘s survival adventure once again shrinks players down to insect size, but this time the world is considerably larger. Players can explore alone or in co-op, build bases, craft equipment and even ride insect companions known as Buggies.
There is also a mysterious threat following the survivors. You can be sure that there’s more going on beneath the colourful surface of the park.
Bounty Star Also Moves To Premium
Bounty Star follows the same Premium route on August 11th.
Already part of the Game Pass family, the mech-focused action game becomes available through Premium, while continuing on Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It combines bounty hunting with mech customisation, farming and base building, putting players in control of the Desert Raptor MKII.
It’s available on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Three Games Actually Join Game Pass
While several familiar faces are expanding to Premium, three games are genuinely joining the service this week.
Date Everything! is probably the oddest game in this week’s line-up – and that’s saying something.
Landing on August 11th, the dating simulator turns household objects into potential companions after the player receives a mysterious pair of magical glasses. More than 100 characters can be dated, with branching stories and multiple endings attached to each one. It arrives on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld and PC on August 11th through Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass.
The, cricket fans get their turn on August 13th with Cricket 26.
The latest entry introduces a new Management Career alongside an expanded Ashes mode, an updated Pro Team and an Academy that allows players to create and share content with the wider community. Cricket 26 launches on Cloud, Console and PC through Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass.
Also arriving on August 13th is Sandustry, a PC-only Game Preview title built around factory automation.
Its unusual premise treats every pixel as a physical resource. Players can mine, process and transport materials while building increasingly complex factories across a destructible, procedurally generated world. It is coming to PC through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Ball x Pit And Mio Join Premium
Two more existing Game Pass titles are also expanding their reach.
Ball x Pit becomes available through Game Pass Premium on August 12th, while remaining part of Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The fast-paced roguelite combines bouncing projectiles with monster-filled dungeon runs and a huge range of ball combinations. It’s a game that has just been updated too, thanks to the Naturalist update. It’s available on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld and PC.
Then, on August 13th, Mio: Memories in Orbit also becomes available through Premium. This atmospheric metroidvania follows the robot MIO through a vast technological ark filled with vegetation, hostile machines and forgotten secrets. Mio arrives on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld and PC.
Four Games Are Leaving Game Pass
There’s some housekeeping to take care of too, as four games are scheduled to leave the service on August 15th.
- Menace (Game Preview) – PC
- Atlas Fallen – Cloud, Console and PC
- Aliens: Fireteam Elite – Cloud, Console and PC
- Firewatch – Cloud, Console and PC
If any of these are sitting on your backlog, there’s still time to jump in before they depart.
A Different Kind Of Game Pass Week
So, while the headline number might suggest a huge batch of new Game Pass games, this week’s update is really about three new additions and four existing games gaining Premium availability.
Date Everything!, Cricket 26 and Sandustry provide the fresh additions, while Grounded 2 is easily the biggest attraction among the games expanding across the tiers. With Bounty Star, Ball x Pit and Mio: Memories in Orbit also gaining Premium availability, there’s still plenty to explore – just don’t mistake the tier changes for brand-new Game Pass arrivals.
