Five Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass on August 31, Including The Witcher 3

Microsoft’s announcement describes these as games leaving the Game Pass library soon and directs members to the purchase discount before removal.

Why The Witcher 3 is the biggest loss

The Witcher 3 stands apart from the rest of the list because of its reputation, open-world structure, and substantial Complete Edition package. It is widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed role-playing games in the catalog, making its removal more consequential for subscribers than the loss of a shorter, more specialized title.

The timing is also notable. The Complete Edition reportedly joined Game Pass in February 2026, giving it a relatively short stay before its August 31 departure.

That makes the discount particularly relevant for players with an unfinished save. Rather than rushing through a large, nonlinear RPG before the deadline, subscribers can buy it at the reduced price and return to it later. The discount applies before the game leaves the service, so players should check the current purchase listing rather than assume the offer will remain afterward.

What the other four games offer

The remaining departures cover a much broader range of experiences:

• Another Crab’s Treasure is a colorful underwater action adventure with Soulslike combat and a hermit-crab protagonist that uses discarded objects as shells.
• I Am Your Beast is a fast-paced first-person shooter focused on compact, aggressive combat and a retired covert-operations protagonist.
• Neon Abyss is a neon-styled roguelite platformer built around procedurally generated runs, weapons, and item combinations.
• One Lonely Outpost combines science-fiction colony building with farming and life-simulation elements on an alien world.

These descriptions provide context for the four games’ different genres; Microsoft’s official announcement primarily confirms the titles, availability, and removal date rather than detailing each game’s mechanics.

How this fits into August’s Game Pass turnover

The August removals are split into two waves. Menace, Atlas Fallen, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and Firewatch left on August 15, followed by these five games on August 31. That brings the month’s announced removal total to nine games.

The turnover continues into September: NBA 2K26 is scheduled to leave Game Pass on September 6.

Microsoft is also adding games during the same period. The second August wave includes Egging On, available August 18, and Young Suns, arriving August 31, alongside additional releases scheduled between August 18 and September 1.

Four September Game Pass arrivals are already confirmed

The first announced September additions are:

• Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault — September 2
• SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed — September 3
• Dune: Awakening — September 22
• Minecraft Dungeons II — September 29

This is only the confirmed early schedule, not necessarily the complete September lineup.

Should you buy The Witcher 3 before it leaves?

For players already invested in The Witcher 3, buying it before August 31 is the clearest way to avoid losing access to an unfinished playthrough. The 20% subscriber discount lowers the immediate cost, while the game’s scale makes ownership more practical than trying to complete it under a fixed deadline.

There is also a longer-term reason to keep the game available. CD Projekt Red has announced Songs of the Past, a new Witcher 3 expansion scheduled for 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The expansion’s precise release details and how it will relate to the Complete Edition are not established by the available evidence. However, for fans planning to revisit Geralt’s story, owning the base game before the Game Pass removal may be more useful than treating August 31 as a hard finish line.