Xbox Game Pass has its first August 2026 wave locked in, and this batch comes with two separate reasons to pay attention. Microsoft is adding 10 more games across the first half of the month while giving Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members early access to the *Gears of War: E-Day* open beta from August 6 to August 10.
The new list follows two games that arrived today, *Heretic + Hexen* and Game Freak's *Beast of Reincarnation*. The rest of the month starts on August 6 with *Monsters are Coming!* and *PowerWash Simulator 2*, then moves into a run that includes *Bounty Star*, *Date Everything!*, *Grounded 2*, *Ball x Pit*, *Cricket 26*, *Mio: Memories in Orbit*, *Sandustry* and *Egging On*.
Microsoft confirmed the lineup in an Xbox Wire update. The most immediate extra is the *Gears of War: E-Day* beta benefit, which gives Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers access ahead of the game's October 6 release.
Gears of War: E-Day beta access is the headline perk
The early access beta will feature Horde Siege, the new PvE mode for *Gears of War: E-Day*. On the official *Gears of War* site, The Coalition describes Horde Siege as a 12-player evolution of Horde where three COG squads fight across larger maps, complete shifting objectives and extract after surviving the Locust.
The beta map is Golden Quarter, set in the aftermath of the battle for Kalona's historic district. The developer says *E-Day* will launch with three Horde Siege maps, with more planned after release.
That makes the Game Pass perk more than a small cosmetic bonus. Subscribers on the top console tier or PC tier get an early look at one of the biggest multiplayer changes in the next mainline *Gears* before launch.
Xbox Game Pass August 2026 wave 1 lineup
| Date | Game | Platforms | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 6 | *Monsters are Coming!* | Cloud, Xbox Series X | S, handheld and PC |
| August 6 | *PowerWash Simulator 2* | Cloud, Xbox Series X | S and PC |
| August 11 | *Bounty Star* | Cloud, Xbox Series X | S and PC |
| August 11 | *Date Everything!* | Cloud, Xbox Series X | S, handheld and PC |
| August 11 | *Grounded 2* (Game Preview) | Cloud, Xbox Series X | S, handheld and PC |
| August 12 | *Ball x Pit* | Cloud, Xbox Series X | S, handheld and PC |
| August 13 | *Cricket 26* | Cloud, console and PC | Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass |
| August 13 | *Mio: Memories in Orbit* | Cloud, Xbox Series X | S, handheld and PC |
| August 13 | *Sandustry* (Game Preview) | PC | Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass |
| August 18 | *Egging On* | Cloud, Xbox Series X | S, handheld and PC |
The freshest additions for all major tiers are *Date Everything!*, *Cricket 26* and *Sandustry*. The rest of the list mostly expands Game Pass Premium access to games already tied to higher tiers.
*Grounded 2* also lands on August 11 alongside its Into the Abyss update. Obsidian has described that update as one of the biggest new areas added to Brookhollow Park so far, opening the pond with underwater exploration, diving suits and the amphibious Toe-biter Buggy.
Xbox also repeated the four games leaving on August 15, including *Firewatch*, *Atlas Fallen*, *Aliens: Fireteam Elite* and *Menace*. That removal list was already a notable mid-month Game Pass cut, so August now has both a clear incoming schedule and a deadline for anyone finishing those older titles.