July 6 was rough.
Asha Sharma, the new Xbox chief, stood up and said some hard things. 3,200 layoffs. Four gaming studios getting sold or closed. And the ugly truth nobody wanted to hear out loud? Game Pass isn’t growing. It’s not doing what they planned. The business is hurting.
“Unhealthy.” That’s the word used for a platform meant to save gaming.
So what did they do about it on July 7?
They added games.
It feels like a distraction, but maybe it’s strategy. Microsoft dropped a list of new titles into the ecosystem immediately after the cuts. Including the full version of Palworld. Yes. The game Nintendo hates. It’s finally leaving the shadows of its early access phase.
Here is what is happening with your subscription this month.
The heavy hitters
Gears of War: Reloaded is moving around again. If you are on Game Pass Premium, it is there. It used to be on Ultimate, but subscriptions are tricky beasts. The classic campaign returns, remastered. You play Marcus Fenix. You kill aliens. You get all the maps and characters unlocked through progress. It’s straightforward.
Palworld lands in full force now. After more than two years of teasers, controversy, and lawsuits, the door is fully open. You catch “Pals.” You shoot things. It works on Ultimate, Premium, and PC passes.
The controversy hasn’t faded, has it?
Nintendo sued. The devs backed down. They changed parts of the game to appease legal pressure. But here it is. Available for subscribers who don’t mind the baggage.
And then there is the nostalgia hit. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater comes to the passes on July 21. I remember the N64. The grind rails. The soundtrack. This remake brings it all back with modern graphics and smooth controls. It hits the same sweet spot.
The rest of the roster
Microsoft doesn’t just add two big games. They throw everything else into the mix, too. The list gets long quickly.
- Tamashika and Ascend to Zero are already live on various passes.
- PBA Pro Bowling 2025 drops on July 14. Wait. Why bowling? Because you have to fill the catalog.
- Quarantine Zero: The Last Check moves to Premium on the 15th. It was on Ultimate before. Shuffle deck.
- Mavrix, FixForce, and Fogpiercer all hit on July 16 or 17.
- The Planet Crafter joins the fray on the 21st.
It is a firehose of content. Do you play them? Probably not all. But they are there.
Say goodbye
Nothing stays forever. Not even games.
On July 15, ten titles leave the service. You have time to finish them if you’re halfway through a campaign. After that? You pay full price.
The exits include:
– 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
– Techtonica
It is the cycle of subscription gaming. In with the new. Out with the old.
3,200 people lost their jobs last week. Today we have Tony Hawk.
I suppose we play on.
