One can only but dream. Reality is that most of those titles will only be drip-fed to Game Pass once the deal is finally done. I have high hopes for Diablo IV to hit GP, but not in the next 12 months.
The Game Pass Friends & Family preview programme is ending 15 August 
with no indication of when it will return with a worldwide launch.
What does this mean for my membership?
- Starting 17 July, you will no longer be able to add new members to your account.
- On 15 August, your existing membership will end as Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family will no longer be available in your market.
- Starting 15 August, we’ll be providing you with a minimum of 3-months Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as a thank you for participating in our preview program. Additional time may be included, depending on your banked time.
- We will send your personalised code on console or in the Xbox app on PC which must be redeemed with the Xbox account you used for your current Xbox Game Pass Friends & Family membership.
- All participants in your group plan will also be receiving the same personalised offer, so that you can continue playing together.
Yeah, this is genuinely disappointing. I’ve been using it to bribe convince friends to play games on game pass with me without them having to fork out any moneys.
Live Gold is dead! Long live Live Gold and GWG!!
Today, we’re continuing our commitment to give players more choice and value by introducing Xbox Game Pass Core, launching on September 14. Game Pass Core is the evolution of Xbox Live Gold. Game Pass Core will give players access to our advanced multiplayer network, a select collection of over 25 games to play with friends around the world, and exclusive member deals, all for $9.99 USD per month or $59.99 USD per year.
For over twenty years, Xbox players have been connecting via Xbox Live to compete, cooperate, and experience the world’s biggest online multiplayer games. In 2017, we introduced Xbox Game Pass which provided a curated library of games. Game Pass Core brings online play together with Game Pass in a new offering for gamers around the world.
With this evolution, we’re saying farewell to Games with Gold. We wanted to use this opportunity to re-imagine how to include content with this subscription. We found that the answer to the most compelling catalog was to leverage select titles from our Xbox Game Pass catalog.
Our launch collection of more than 25 titles from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and our content partners will offer something for everyone to play on their Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles. Today we’re confirming the following titles for launch*, with more to be announced in advance of September 14. New titles will be added 2-3 times a year.:
- Among Us
- Descenders
- Dishonored 2
- Doom Eternal
- Fable Anniversary
- Fallout 4
- Fallout 76
- Forza Horizon 4
- Gears 5
- Grounded
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Halo Wars 2
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Human Fall Flat
- Inside
- Ori & The Will of the Wisps
- Psychonauts 2
- State of Decay 2
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited
*Game library may vary over time and by country.
That’s a good deal; my son has been wanting to play games with me, which should bridge that gap. I am actually surprised they didn’t include Minecraft in that starter bundle.
Coming to Game Pass
18 July - 1 August
Second half of July sees puzzle solving, Indian cooking, building a city on the back of a giant wandering creature, the return of a couple of familiar names, and more being added to the Game Pass library. There’s a distinct indie feeling amongst the seven new additions.
Available Today - Tuesday, 18 July
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Techtonica (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Day One with Game Pass
Dig into the sub-surface, bioluminescent world of a rogue alien planet as you explore and construct sprawling factories in Techtonica. Work alone or in co-op to master automation, gather resources, research new technologies, mold the destructible terrain, establish a base of operations, and uncover long-forgotten secrets. -
Toem (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Set off on a delightful expedition and use your photographic eye to uncover the mysteries of the magical Toem in this hand-drawn adventure game. Chat with quirky characters, solve their problems by snapping neat photos, and make your way through a relaxing landscape!
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The Cave (Cloud and Console)
The Cave is an adventure game from Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion creator Ron Gilbert, and Double Fine Productions, the award-winning studio behind Psychonauts and Brütal Legend. Assemble your team of three from seven unlikely adventurers, each with their own unique personalities, and then descend into the mysterious depths.
Coming Soon - Wednesday, 19 July
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Maquette (Console and PC)
Maquette is a first-person recursive puzzle game that takes you into a world where every building, plant, and object are simultaneously tiny and staggeringly huge. Maquette makes it possible by twisting the world into itself recursively in an MC Escher-esque fashion.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 20 July
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Figment 2: Creed Valley (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Figment 2: Creed Valley is an action-adventure game set in the human mind. Nightmares are spreading chaos and have overrun once-peaceful lands. Join Dusty, The Mind’s courage, as you make your way through puzzles, musical boss fights, and unique environments. -
The Wandering Village (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Wandering Village is a city-building simulation game on the back of a giant, wandering creature. Build your settlement and form a symbiotic relationship with the colossus. Will you survive together in this hostile, yet beautiful post-apocalyptic world, contaminated by poisonous plants?
Coming Soon - Tuesday, 25 July
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Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem is a new stand-alone expansion to the world of the classic FPS series. Join the fight against Notorious Mental on a journey through the wild lands of Russia and find your way through this lost chapter of Sam Stone’s adventures.
Coming Soon - Monday, 31 July
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Venba (Console and PC)
Day One with Game Pass
Venba is a short narrative cooking game, where you play as an Indian mom, who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Players will cook various dishes and restore lost recipes, hold branching conversations, and explore in this story about family, love, loss, and more.
DLC & Game Updates Coming Soon
Adding this section as there are some excellent updates to Game Pass titles that are worth mentioning.
Available Now - Tuesday, 18 July
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Naraka: Bladepoint Deluxe Edition Upgrade
Naraka: Bladepoint is now free to play, and all Game Pass members will get free conversion from the current Standard Edition to the new Deluxe Edition along with in-game rewards. Learn more here.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 20 July
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League of Legends Champion: Naafiri
Game Pass members can instantly unlock the newest League of Legends Champion, Naafiri, on July 20 with their membership. Her pack will always find the lone prey. So, the choice is yours: starve or feast. -
Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island
Voyage deep into the Caribbean with Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island – an original story told in installments across three Tall Tales, the first of which arrives July 20, it’s a hilarious, heartfelt love-letter to the iconic adventure game series!
Game Pass Ultimate Perks
GPU subscribers get additional Perks included with their subscription. Unfortunately, some of these are not always available to South Africans. Here are the listed Perks for this fortnight. Let us know which work or don’t if you do try and claim any of them.
Available Now - Tuesday, 18 July
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Naruto Shippuden Uncut Season 1
Enjoy the first season of “Naruto Shippuden Uncut” with your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Membership. Naruto returns to the Village Hidden in the Leaves and takes on his old Sensei. Get other seasons of Naruto and hundreds of other Anime series on sale during Microsoft Movies & TV’s Anime month.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 20 July
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Crunchyroll Premium Perk
For a limited time, get 75 days of Crunchyroll Premium (Mega Fan Plan) with your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. Stream the world’s largest anime library of more than 1,000 titles ad-free, anywhere you want. Press play on music videos, concerts, manga, and more!
Coming Soon - Friday, 21 July
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FIFA 23 EA Play Ultimate Team Pack
Get your EA Play FUTTIES Super Loan Pack, featuring one loan Player Item for your FIFA 23 Ultimate Team! Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play members can claim this Pack from July 21 to August 21, 2023.
Leaving Soon - Monday, 31 July
Games being withdrawn from the Games Pass library at the end of this month.
- Dreamscaper (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Expeditions: Rome (PC)
- Marvel’s Avengers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- The Ascent (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Two Point Campus (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The next Game Pass additions should be announced on Tuesday, 1 August.
And maybe Elden Ring too in the not too distant future…?
(Sarah Bond is the Xbox VP, slated to take over from Phil Spencer.)
Oh noes. I wonder why Phil is stepping down/out?
I don’t think he will be for a while still. Just good corporate succession planning at this stage I believe.
Understandable, he did great work for Xbox.
Coming to Game Pass
1 August - 15 August
Into August we go with a handful of new additions to the Game Pass library for the first half of the month. And is another Indie Fest batch of titles.
Available Today - Tuesday, 1 August
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Celeste (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Help Madeline survive her inner demons on her journey to the top of Celeste Mountain, in this super-tight platformer from the creators of TowerFall. Brave hundreds of hand-crafted challenges, uncover devious secrets, and piece together the mystery of the mountain.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 3 August
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A Short Hike (Cloud, Console, PC)
Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park. Follow the marked trails or explore the backcountry as you make your way to the summit. Along the way, meet other hikers, discover hidden treasures, and take in the world around you.
Coming Soon - Tuesday, 8 August
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Broforce Forever (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Broforce is an action-packed side-scrolling run ‘n’ gun ode to freedom, putting you in control of an under-funded, over-powered paramilitary organization dealing exclusively in excessive force. Included is the long-awaited Broforce Forever content, which offers an improved and expanded campaign with new unlocks, along with six new ultra patriotic bros, and four new democracy-spreading challenge levels!
Coming Soon - Wednesday, 9 August
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Limbo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Limbo is an award-winning indie adventure, critically acclaimed for its captivating puzzle design and immersive sound and visuals. Its dark, misty spaces and haunting narrative will stay with you forever.
Coming Soon - Thursday, 10 August
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Airborne Kingdom (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Airborne Kingdom is a stunning airborne city building and management game. Grow your unique town among the clouds and fly it across a wide-open landscape. Explore the skies to restore serenity to the world below!
Coming Soon - Tuesday, 15 August
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Everspace 2 (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S)
Already available now on PC, now coming to Series X|S and Cloud
Step into the pilot seat in this fast-paced single-player space shooter where brutal challenges stand between you and epic loot. Embark on a sci-fi adventure where massive, handcrafted areas are packed with secrets, puzzles, and perils! Level up, craft, and loot better gear to survive on the edge of space.
DLC & Game Updates Coming Soon
Available Now - Tuesday, 1 August
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Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update XIV: Central Eastern Europe
World Update XIV captures the majesty, charm and allure of Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The region bristles with history, architectural wonders, and stunning scenery. The Central Eastern Europe countries beckon exploration from above with never-before-seen fidelity, including 103 points of interest, new landing challenges, and more. Available for free to all owners and Game Pass members. The sky is calling!
Game Pass Ultimate Perks
GPU subscribers get additional Perks included with their subscription. Unfortunately, some of these are not always available to South Africans. Here are the listed Perks for this fortnight. Let us know which work or don’t if you do try and claim any of them.
Available Now - Tuesday, 18 July
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PUBG Battlegrounds: 2023 Summer Pack
Don’t miss out on this special edition PUBG 2023 Summer Pack, featuring the return of the Floral Yukata Set along with additional Hunter’s Chests, Keys, and Contraband Coupons. Included with your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership! -
Neverwinter: House Baerne Coupon Choice Pack
Start your own adventure with the exclusive House Baerne Scion Pack! This pack includes a House Baenre Companion Coupon Choice Pack and a Rank 3 Enchantment Choice Pack. Choose between one of the following for the House Baerne Coupon Choice Pack: 100% off one of four companions in the Zen market or 1500 Zen Value of Companion Upgrade Tokens. Requires Neverwinter to use.
Coming Soon - Wednesday, 2 August
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Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis: August Member Bonus
Jump into the all new PSO2 New Genesis with some items to give you a hand! N-Half Scape Dolls (x6) to help revive you during intense battles, and Photon Chunks (x50) to strengthen weapons and units. Requires Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis to use.
Leaving Soon - Tuesday, 15 August
Games being withdrawn from the Games Pass library in mid-August.
- Death Stranding (PC)
- Edge of Eternity (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Midnight Fight Express (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Total War: Warhammer III (PC)
The next Game Pass additions should be announced on Tuesday, 15 August.
This game was such a surprise and so good! I love it!
Nice, I like the look of Airborne Kingdom, now I can give it a go.
Currently playing Maquette, it’s got a cool mind-bending mechanic that creates some interesting puzzles that make you feel like a genius when you work them out.
Also the soundtrack is excellent, voice acting well done and I’m keen to see where the story goes.
This video gives you a better idea of how the recursion mechanic works:
Installed it yesterday - with the hope of finding some time over the next week 
I think you’ll enjoy it 
Looks like I finished Death Stranding just in time.
DAmmit I didnt even get to start Death Stranding, oh well, one day when I have more time again!
It was free on Epic, you may have picked it up at the time.