Xbox Game Pass loses a 5-hour masterpiece in less than a week; play it before it's gone

Xbox Game Pass is set to lose another handful of games later this August, and usually, we’d pay them no mind, but this month will do away with an indie gem you can’t miss.

It’s called Firewatch, developed by Campo Santo and published collaboratively by Panic and Campo Santo.

Firewatch is an indie open-world game with a gripping and mysterious narrative. You play as a man called Henry who moves out to the Wyoming wilderness and into a fire lookout station.

His job is simple: watch the skyline for signs of forest fires and roam the woodland for any trouble.

It’s a lonely job, however, and the only point of contact he has is his supervisor, Delilah, who’s stationed in another lookout. The two can only communicate through their radios and end up forming a strong bond.

Like the job itself, gameplay is also simple. It’s a linear story of Henry being drawn to different parts of the area, either by simple disturbances or full-on investigations. As the days pass by, you’re introduced to “an edge-of-your-seat mystery” where you quickly realise there’s something very sinister about the wilderness.

It’s hard to go into details without giving away some of the plot, but in a short space of time, Henry is put through his paces both physically and emotionally.

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Firewatch is one of my favourite games on Xbox Game Pass, so it’s sad to see it go

While it’s simply the nature of Xbox’s subscription service to see games come and go, there’s still something quite upsetting to see Firewatch leave the service again.

It was originally added back in 2021, and after it was removed the first time, it was re-added in 2023. It was probably around this time that I played the game myself, and I absolutely adored it. I’d recommend it to anyone.

So while it’s had a good three-year run on Game Pass, it’d be a real shame not to have as many gamers as possible try it before it goes.

Fortunately, it shouldn’t interfere with any big games you’ve got on the go at the moment.

HowLongToBeat says it takes around five hours to see and do everything it has to offer, and as someone who’s both completed the game and unlocked all of the achievements, that sounds about right. It makes for an excellent palette-cleanser if the latest AAAs are bogging you down.

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Firewatch will officially leave Xbox Game Pass on August 15, and while it might return one day again, we have no way of knowing when.

You should definitely play it before then if you haven’t already, but if not, you can grab the full game for $19.99/£15.99. It’s also currently discounted for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

It can also be played on PC via Steam, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch/Switch 2 consoles.