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The July slowdown is real, but Xbox Game Pass isn't sitting this one out. Microsoft kicked off the month's additions on July 6 with Winds of Arcana: Ruination, and there's a proper headliner waiting at the end of the month too. Here's everything landing on the service in July 2026, and where you can dig into the full libraries yourself.
Winds of Arcana: Ruination is live now
First up, and already playable: Winds of Arcana: Ruination. It's a dark fantasy metroidvania from Bangalore studio Brewed Games, and you play Aryn, a mercenary picking through cursed lands looking for the comrades who went missing. Think 2.5D exploration, side-scrolling combat, and a build-driven loop where the map slowly opens up as you get stronger. It's on Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass, with Xbox Play Anywhere for cross-progression, so your save follows you between console, PC and handheld.
The rest of the July lineup
After that it's a steady drip rather than a flood. Nothing wrong with that. Here's what's confirmed:
- July 13: Ascend to Zero (Ultimate, PC)
- July 17: Fogpiercer (Ultimate, PC)
- July 21: The Planet Crafter (Ultimate, PC)
- July 28: Halo: Campaign Evolved (Ultimate, PC)
The Planet Crafter is the sleeper pick for us. Terraforming a dead world from a toxic rock into a green, breathable planet sounds simple, and then forty hours vanish. If you missed it, this is your excuse.
Halo: Campaign Evolved is the big one
The month closes on a heavy hitter. Halo: Campaign Evolved is a full remake of Bungie's 2001 shooter, and it drops straight into Game Pass day one on July 28. Master Chief's original run, rebuilt, plus a few new missions bolted on. If you've only ever known Halo through memes and older siblings, this is the clean way in.
Which tier do you actually need?
All of the day-one stuff lives on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, so those two carry the month. If you're on a cheaper plan, it's worth checking the Standard and Core libraries before you upgrade, since the catalogs don't fully overlap. You can compare every subscription over on our subscriptions page.
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So, quiet month or hidden gem season? Grabbing Halo, finally trying The Planet Crafter, or skipping July entirely? Drop it in the comments.
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