Microsoft has announced the suite of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in the first two weeks of August, with Assassin's Creed Mirage perhaps leading the way.
We're also seeing the return of Aliens: Fireteam Elite on the platform, as a new Alien TV show is due to start.
There are many believe Assassin's Creed had lost its way with 2020's viking-inspired chapter, Valhalla. It was more a sprawling open-world RPG that nigh-on ditched the mythos formed over the 13 years before. So the next Assassin's Creed game came as somewhat a pleasant surprise when it arrived after a three-year hiatus.
Assassin's Creed Mirage took the series back to its roots – almost literally. Set a couple of centuries before the original game, it had a similar feel and, perhaps most importantly, a tighter, more focused game design. It felt much more like the classic Assassin's Creeds of old.
And now it can be yours for free.
Well, for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, that is. It is making its bow on the service for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and gaming PC owners, as well as on Xbox Cloud Gaming, from tomorrow – 7 August 2025.
To play it previously, you would need either to buy it outright or subscribe to Ubisoft+ Premium for an additional £14.99 per month.
Also added to Xbox Game Pass today are Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, MechWarrior 5: Clans, and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap. These are each already available for Ultimate subscribers but are now playable for Standard members too.
And clearly timed to celebrate the launch of the new Alien: Earth show on Disney+, Aliens: Fireteam Elite will return to the service from 12 August. That'll be available to Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Standard subscribers.
Finally, a game preview build of roguelike kingdom builder 9 Kings will be added on 14 August.
Additional games for the second half of August will be announced in a week or so.
It's worth also noting that Anthem, Faming Simulator 22, and Persona 3 Reload will be leaving Game Pass on 15 August.
