Every new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate game from August 2025, ranked

Every month, Microsoft adds new titles to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. These titles are a mix of old and new releases and are often playable across PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

The games that specifically come to the subscription’s highest tier, Game Pass Ultimate, are the most exciting, as it has the most notable and recent games in its catalog.

So far, we know of six titles that are definitely coming to Game Pass Ultimate’s catalog this month.

That includes all the ones discussed in Microsoft’s Wave 1 post on Xbox Wire, the Farming Simulator game that came to the service on August 1, and the Gears of War remaster slated for release later this month.

To help you decide which of these games you should play as they come to the service throughout the month of August, I’m ranking them from worst to best. From there, you can decide what best fits your gaming tastes and play that first.

6

Farming Simulator 25

Available on PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Cloud Gaming now

Everything you need to know about Farming Simulator 25 is right there in the title. It’s the latest simulation game in which players run a farm, controlling everything from what crops to grow to actually processing them with heavy machinery.

Farming Simulator 25’s specific upgrades come in the form of more dynamic weather and a game engine upgrade. While this game is very good at what it does, it’s also very niche.

If you aren’t already into the idea of farming in a way that’s less like Stardew Valley and more like a real job, then Farming Simulator 25 probably isn’t for you.

If that does sound like a good time to you, though, you can now easily check it out through Game Pass Ultimate.

5

Rain World

Available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Cloud Gaming now

Rain World is a cult classic indie game that left a strong impression on players because of its procedural animations and how it incorporates survival elements.

As a creature called a Slugcat, players have to slowly explore a large, dark, and grimy world, fighting the aggressive enemies they come across and occasionally dodging deadly floods.

It’s not for everyone and takes some time to get going, but Rain World leaves a lasting impression because of how intense the experience can be and how fluid its animations are for a game using pixel art. It’s not your standard retro platformer.

Fans of retro-inspired games should consider checking this one out on Game Pass. If Rain World doesn’t scare you off within the first hour, you’re in for a memorable experience.

4

9 Kings

Coming to PC on August 14

9 Kings combines tower defense, roguelike, and auto-battler mechanics to offer up a pretty entertaining strategy game.

Players build a kingdom on a grid, slowly adding new buildings and units to defend it. After each new attack wave, a card can be used to add a new unit or structure or upgrade what you already have.

While battles start slow, with a single unit type, 9 Kings quickly scales upwards in mayhem as more enemies start to attack and player units go out to fight with more upgrades.

If you enjoy games like Mechabellum or Balatro, then 9 Kings will be very appealing to you.

The catch is that 9 Kings is still in early access (or Xbox Game Preview, as Microsoft calls it) and only on PC at this time. While that limits its broader appeal, this is still a title that strategy game fans should be keeping an eye on as it continues development.

3

Gears of War: Reloaded

Coming to PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Cloud Gaming on August 26

Gears of War is one of Microsoft’s most iconic series, so this grisly sci-fi third-person shooter series needs little introduction.

Ahead of Gears of War: E-Day’s launch, which will likely happen sometime next year, The Coalition and Xbox Game Studios decided to remaster the first game in the series for a second time.

Gears of War: Reloaded specifically enhances the original Gears of War so it’s now playable at a 4K resolution and 120 frames-per-second frame rate natively.

It will also make the game available on PS5 for the first time, with full cross-play support for multiplayer, which is bound to increase the player base.

As I mentioned, a Gears of War remaster with the subtitle Ultimate Edition was released for Xbox One in 2014 and is currently part of the Game Pass catalog.

While that decreases the allure of this re-release somewhat, the reinvigorated multiplayer player base and performance improvements warrant a revisit.

2

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Coming to PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Cloud Gaming on August 7

While most modern Assassin’s Creed games, like Assassin’s Creed Shadow, are massive 100-hour RPG experiences, Assassin’s Creed Mirage isn’t.

Instead, it’s more of an old-school Assassin’s Creed game with a traditional open world and shorter overall game length.

Mirage is the origin story for Basim, a character from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, following how he joined the Brotherhood and discovered his connection to the greater forces controlling the world of Assassin’s Creed.

It’s set in 9th-century Baghdad, offering an immensely detailed depiction of the city based on what it actually could’ve looked like at the time.

While Mirage is more of a game you can beat in a weekend rather than a massive RPG experience, it’s worth checking out if you’re getting burnt out playing Shadows but still want to get your fix of Assassin’s Creed. Now, you can do so through Game Pass.

1

Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Coming to PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Cloud Gaming on August 12

While the survival horror game Alien: Isolation remains the best game based on the iconic franchise, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is the best one that leans into more action elements.

It’s coming back to Xbox Game Pass the same month Alien: Earth begins on FX.

It’s a class-based co-op shooter where groups of three players complete missions, killing any Xenomorphs that get in their way while doing so. Think Left 4 Dead or Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, but set in the universe of Aliens.

I think it’s underrated in the co-op shooter space and a blast to play with friends. If you don’t mind Alien-related projects where horror isn’t the main focus, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is worth your and your friend’s time.

A slow start to August for Xbox Game Pass

So far, it’s a quiet month for Game Pass Ultimate. July had high-profile games launching into the service, like Grounded 2 and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. In comparison, August is looking much less interesting.

That’s not to say the games aren’t great. I think Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and 9 Kings are certainly worth your time if you’ve never checked them out before.

Hopefully, the second wave of August games and Xbox’s Gamescom appearance bring some Game Pass surprises with them.