Xbox Game Pass users get one last chance to play GOTY winning RPG before DLC drops

Xbox Game Pass subscribers have one last chance to play this Game of the Year winner before at no additional cost, before its next DLC expansion arrives in early 2027.

It’s always a shame when long-standing games get shuffled off Xbox Game Pass, but it’s simply the nature of subscription services like these.

For August, in particular, some excellent games are being rotated out for whatever is coming next.

Pretty soon, you’ll be losing Neon Abyss, One Lonely Outpost, Another Crab's Treasure, I Am Your Beast and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. That last one hurts far more than it should, especially after seeing the new DLC expansion at Gamescom 2026.

Opening Night Live showed fans what they can expect from Songs of the Past before its debut in 2027, and as intended, it’s got plenty of people interested in the critically-acclaimed RPG again.

Unfortunately, those that don’t own it will be disappointed to hear Xbox Game Pass will lose The Witcher 3 on August 31, which is two days away from the time of writing.

If you want to get caught up with the story so far, now's a better time than any to do it, but don’t expect to finish the entire story before then… HowLongToBeat reckons The Witcher 3 takes over 50 hours to complete the main story alone, which is a bit much for a weekend.

Nevertheless it’s worth getting started if you haven’t already, and if you have started but somehow haven’t finished yet, you might be able to roll credits before it leaves the service.

Chances are the game will return to Xbox Game Pass at a later date, but likely not until after Songs of the Past launches, as CD Projekt Red will want to capitalise on all of the new players buying the game for its DLC.

Don’t miss your chance to play at no additional cost with your subscription, but if you do run out of time, the game is regularly on sale, so it’s easy to make it a permanent part of your library.

An exciting update on The Witcher 4

While Gamescom gave fans their first look at the Songs of the Past DLC, August also brought another exciting announcement for the CD Projekt Red series.

In an official statement, the studio confirmed that it’s aiming for a 2028 release for The Witcher IV. An exact date hasn’t been named yet.

That may sound like a world away right now, but its far-off launch window has likely been decided upon for the right reasons. A 2027 release would obviously clash with The Witcher 3 DLC, and releasing the game in 2028 will hopefully ensure maximum levels of polish. We’d hate to see another Cyberpunk 2077 situation all over again…

The Witcher fans are eating well it seems, and if you want to be part of the action Xbox Game Pass is your best opportunity, for now.

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