Xbox Game Pass confirms Starfield and 4 more free games joining service

If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you’re in the right place. Microsoft has revealed the next batch of free games that’ll soon be joining the subscription service.

I’ll get the most obvious entry out of the way first: Starfield. We all knew this one was coming. After all, we have been counting down to its release for what feels like an eternity. Starfield is set to join Xbox Game Pass on 6 September as a day one release. You’ll need to upgrade to the digital premium edition if you want to unlock early access, which is available as an option. Boasting over 1,000 planets and an “astonishing” number of side quests, Starfield is certain to keep us busy for much of the rest of the year but if you do find yourself with a bit of extra time, a further four games will also be dropping soon.

Take a look at Starfield in action below.

It’s a solid line-up. Firewatch will return to the Game Pass library on 17 August. Developed by Camp Santo and released back in 2016, Firewatch is a single-player first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness. Armed only with a small radio, you’ll play as Henry who must communicate with Delilah via the device, your supervisor, unravelling a mystery as you go. If you enjoyed the recently released Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, I’d imagine that you’ll like Firewatch.

On 18 August, we then have another day one release: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The third-person horror is, to no surprise, based on the 1974 film of the same name. Featuring co-op and PvP gameplay, you can either play as the Slaughter family or their victims. Reviews were recently released, with the game landing a score of 72 on Metacritic. The tension built was praised, with reviewers noting that there were some genuine scares. The limited variety of content was raised as a drawback though.

Sea of Stars is another day one release set to land on 29 August. The turn-based RPG looks like a real GOTY contender. It centres around two Children of the Solstice who combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic. Finally, the much-loved Gris will land on Game Pass on 5 September.