Hades and Skate get August started with a bang for Xbox Game Pass

With a new month comes a new round of additions to Xbox Game Pass, and this is definitely a batch of games worth checking out. 10 games are joining Xbox Game Pass in the first two weeks of August, and there are big names among them. From recent indie games that everyone seems to talk about to classic games that bring the nostalgia, it's safe to say that Xbox Game Pass is starting the month off with a bang.

This is a very front-heavy batch of games, as most of them are joining the Xbox Game Pass roster later this week. On August 5th, we'll see the addition of all of the following: Curse of the Dead Gods (cloud, console, and PC), Dodgeball Academia (cloud, console, and PC), Katamari Damacy Reroll (cloud, console, and PC), Lumines Remastered (cloud, console, and PC), Skate (console), Skate 3 (cloud), and Starmancer (PC).

There's a lot to unpack there. Curse of the Dead Gods is probably worth checking out for anyone who's a fan of indie roguelikes, while the two Skate games hardly need an introduction. With a new Skate game on the horizon, it looks like EA is looking to tap into some nostalgia by bringing Skate and Skate 3 to Xbox Game Pass via EA Play.

The next addition comes on August 12, when we'll see Art of Rally (cloud, console, and PC) join the service. Then, on August 13th, Hades will be joining Xbox Game Pass on cloud, console, and PC. This is arguably the biggest addition of the month, considering how much positive attention Hades has enjoyed since its release. Finally, on August 17th, we'll see the additions for the first half of August wrap up with the Microsoft Solitaire Collection: Premium Edition on PC.

As always, new additions mean that there will be some departures as well. On August 8th, we'll see Grand Theft Auto V (cloud and console) leave Game Pass, but most of the month's departures are happening on August 15th. On that day, Ape Out (PC), Crossing Souls (PC), Darksiders Genesis (cloud, console, and PC), Don't Starve (cloud, console, and PC), Final Fantasy VII (console and PC), and Train Sim World 2020 (cloud, console, and PC) will all be leaving, so if you're in the middle of any of them, finish up before the 15th rolls around.