Xbox Game Pass will see eight additional titles removed from its service on July 31, marking another significant wave of departures for the subscription platform this month. This second round of removals follows the exit of 10 games on July 15, bringing the total number of games leaving Game Pass in July to eighteen.
Among the notable titles departing are the acclaimed indie platformer Celeste and the grand strategy role-playing game Crusader Kings 3. Both games have been available on the service for a considerable period. Celeste, released in 2018, first joined Game Pass from 2020 to 2021 before returning in 2023, and will now be unavailable. Crusader Kings 3, a critically lauded RPG, has been a staple on Game Pass since September 2020.
Notable Titles Leaving Game Pass
The full list of games scheduled for removal on July 31 includes:
- Back to the Dawn — console, PC, cloud
- Celeste — console, PC, cloud
- Crusader Kings 3 — console, PC, cloud
- Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord — console, PC, cloud
- My Friendly Neighborhood — console, PC, cloud
- Rain World — console, PC, cloud
- Sniper Elite: Resistance — console, PC, cloud
- Whiskerwood — PC
Beyond Celeste and Crusader Kings 3, other significant departures include the survival platformer Rain World and the strategy RPG Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, both of which have garnered dedicated followings.
July's Departures and Service Context
The mid-month removal on July 15 also saw the departure of several popular titles, including Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Stellaris, and Powerwash Simulator. The Zelda-like adventure Dungeons of Hinterburg also left the service.
These recent removals occur amidst a period of strategic shifts for Xbox. The company recently underwent significant layoffs and studio consolidations, with CEO Asha Sharma outlining a new direction for Xbox. While Game Pass was not explicitly detailed in the announcement, reports suggest a potential phasing out of day-one releases for first-party titles on the service. This comes after Game Pass reportedly experienced subscriber losses in the past year, which led to adjustments including a slight reduction in Game Pass Ultimate's price and the introduction of a more streamlined, lower-cost tier. Xbox has also been a target of boycott campaigns.
The constant rotation of titles on Game Pass is a standard practice for subscription services, but the scale of this month's departures, coupled with broader industry changes affecting Xbox, places a spotlight on the evolving landscape of game subscription models. Players looking to experience Celeste, Crusader Kings 3, or any of the other listed titles have until July 31 to do so on Xbox Game Pass.