Microsoft has unveiled the July lineup for its Xbox Game Pass service, marking the first major announcement since a wave of significant layoffs impacted the Xbox division. The news follows Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's acknowledgment that the company's prior gaming strategy, which heavily relied on Game Pass, had not met expectations.
Sharma recently announced the termination of 1,600 employees, with an additional 1,600 staff set to be let go over the next year. This restructuring also saw four studios depart from Microsoft. Sharma described the changes as the "most significant in Xbox history," attributing the workforce reductions to a flawed business approach. According to The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft had projected Game Pass subscriptions to reach approximately 77 million this year, but the service currently stands at around 30 million subscribers. Projections made during the 2023 FTC vs. Microsoft trial, which aimed for 100 million subscribers by 2030, now appear highly improbable.
"Our business today is not healthy," Sharma stated, noting that Xbox operates at significantly lower margins compared to comparable industry businesses. She explained that the company entered the current generation of consoles with a smaller install base and a higher cost structure, betting on Game Pass, multi-platform releases, and a broader content portfolio to drive growth. While these initiatives did generate value, their expansion did not occur at the anticipated pace, leading to a weakening of the core business and increased investment in an effort to improve outcomes. Sharma also cited the current hardware crisis in the industry as a factor necessitating a "reset" for Xbox.
The July Game Pass offerings include a variety of titles. Available starting today, July 6, is the 2.5D action Metroidvania "Winds of Arcana: Ruination" across Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC for Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass subscribers. The sole day-one title arriving this month is "Ascend to Zero," which will be available on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass beginning July 13.
The full list of games joining Game Pass in the first half of July includes:
Gears of War: Reloaded (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – July 9 (Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Tamashika (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – July 9 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass) Ascend to Zero (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – July 13 (Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass) PBA Pro Bowling 2026 (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – July 14 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass) Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – July 15 (Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Mavrix by Matt Jones (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – July 16 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass) FixForce (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – July 17 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass) Fogpiercer (PC) – July 17 (Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass) The Planet Crafter (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – July 21 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass) Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 21 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass)
Several titles are also set to leave Game Pass on July 15, including "Dungeons of Hinterberg," "EA Sports Football Club 24," "Stellaris," "Golf With Your Friends," "Minami Lane," "Powerwash Simulator," "Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition," "Splitgate: Arena Reloaded," "Super Fantasy Kingdom (Game Preview)," and "Techtonica (Game Preview)." The announcement from Microsoft's Xbox Wire did not reference the recent layoffs or studio closures.