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There are a few gooduns in August’s Xbox Game Pass line-up, including a surprisingly sexy, and funny, furniture dating sim
Xbox has announced the next wave of games joining Game Pass in early August, including a well-reviewed dating sim and a beta for an upcoming shooter. Notable additions are Beast of Reincarnation, a new action RPG from Pokémon developer Game Freak, and an open beta for Gears of War: E-Day, letting subscribers try its updated Horde mode ahead of release. The line-up also features Date Everything!, a comedic dating game in which players romance items of furniture that transform into people, developed by a studio featuring several Critical Role voice actors.
Several titles already available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass are being extended to the cheaper Premium tier, including Grounded 2, Ball x Pit, PowerWash Simulator 2 and Mio: Memories in Orbit. Meanwhile, Firewatch and Aliens: Firewatch Elite are due to leave the service on 15 August. The update comes as Xbox undergoes major restructuring, with 1,600 job losses already made and a further 1,600 expected by next summer, a situation Microsoft attributes partly to weak console sales and falling subscriber numbers, prompting new Xbox head Asha Sharma to cut Game Pass prices in a bid to boost uptake.
In short
- Xbox reveals early August Game Pass additions and departures
- Highlights include Beast of Reincarnation and furniture dating sim Date Everything!
- Comes amid major Xbox job cuts and restructuring
Explained simply
Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service that gives members access to a changing library of games. Microsoft offers different tiers, with some games and features available only on more expensive plans; titles can also leave the library, so access through the service is not permanent.
Xbox is Microsoft’s gaming business, which includes its consoles, PC games and subscriptions. It has recently been reshaping the business amid job cuts and concerns about console sales and subscriber numbers, while its new head, Asha Sharma, has reduced some Game Pass prices.
The games mentioned span different genres, from action role-playing games to a comedy dating sim and a shooter beta. These additions and tier changes show how the subscription’s library is organised, while removals mean members may need to buy a game separately if they want to keep playing it after it leaves.