It's a new month, which means new games are joining the ever-growing Xbox Game Pass library. This month's additions for those that have Xbox Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate includes two different Skate titles, the beloved Hades, and more. 

 Before diving into which new games are coming to the Microsoft subscription service, here is a brief overview of what Game Pass even is. The Xbox Game Pass library continues to change with new titles being added. From day one launches of hit games to indie treasures that deserve their stage time just as any other game, the Game Pass membership allows Xbox fans a chance to have instant access to an eclectic library without having to shell out $60 for each experience.

Now, let's get into which games are on the way: 

What's Coming To Xbox Game Pass: 

• Curse of the Dead Gods, Cloud, Console, and PC - August 5
• Dodgeball Academia, Cloud, Console, and PC - August 5
• Katamari Damacy Reroll, Cloud, Console, and PC - August 5
• Lumines Remastered, Cloud, Console, and PC - August 5
• Skate, Console - August 5
• Skate 3, Cloud - August 5
• Starmancer, PC - August 5
• Art of Rally, Cloud, Console, and PC - August 12
• Hades, Cloud, Console, and PC - August 13
• Microsoft Solitaire Collection: Premium Edition, PC - August 17

DLC/Game Updates: 

• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition - African Royales DLC - Available Now
• Gears 5: Operation 8 - Available Now
• Dead by Daylight Archives Tome VIII: Deliverance - Available Now
• Rainbow Six Siege: Containment Event - Now until August 24
• Sniper Elite 4 Series X/S Update - Available Now
• Zombie Army 4: Left 4 Dead 2 Character Pack - Available Now

What's Leaving: 

• Grand Theft Auto V, Cloud and Console - August 8
• Ape Out, PC - August 15
• Crossing Souls, PC - August 15
• Darksiders Genesis, Cloud, Console, and PC - August 15
• Don't Starve, Cloud, Console, and PC - August 15
• Final Fantasy VII, Console and PC - August 15
• Train Sim World 2020, Cloud, Console, and PC August 15

For those that may not have Game Pass yet, there are two options available: the standard membership and Ultimate. Xbox Game Pass is $9.99 per month, with Ultimate coming in at $14.99, including Xbox Live. With Microsoft making some big moves in recent years – the recent Bethesda acquisition and more on the way – the internal ecosystem at Xbox continues to grow. This means more AAA wonders and indie darlings will be yours to play at no additional cost. 

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With the recent Halo Infinite Flight test, the next step of Master Chief's journey is on a lot of our minds. To celebrate all of the Halo Infinite talk, the navigation app called Waze is offering a special Halo-themed update for its service. Yes, that means you can get directions from Master Chief himself. 

The Halo-themed update for Waze includes both Master Chief and the Banished War Chief Escharum as voice options. This is only for a limited time so if you're looking to take that Halo love to a new level, you're going to want to do so fast. 

In addition to Chief and Escharum's voice commands, the ability to change your car's icon to a Spartan super-solider or alien war chief is also available, as well as different profile "moods" to either mainstay character. According to the official blog post revealing the new promotional package, "Join the UNSC and the legendary Master Chief to help humanity tackle every obstacle thrown at them — whether it’s an interstellar alliance or rush hour traffic. Spartan-117 has dismantled the Covenant, turned the tide against the Flood, and battled the Banished — with that kind of experience in your corner, the mission of successfully making that dinner date will be no problem. Of course, having an all-terrain terror like the Warthog doesn’t hurt either."

While this isn't the crossover we imagined happening, it's pretty on-point. I don't know about you, but I've been turned around a time or two in the Warthog, so Master Chief's guidance is very much a "yes, please" for people like me. 

Regarding Halo Infinite itself, we don't have a set release date at this time, though it is expected to launch this holiday season. To learn more about what's going on in the realm of Halo Infinite, check out our dedicated game hub right here. We've got impressions, inside looks, and so much more. 

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Xbox is no stranger to offering a wide variety of controller options with unique colors and designs. That being said, the newly revealed Aqua Shift Special Edition Xbox wireless controller may just be the most beautiful peripheral revealed for this gen to date.

It's shimmery, it's a calming blue, and it's coming out soon with the newest Xbox wireless controller being added to the lineup. In addition to the Design Lab's return that allows Xbox fans to create their own unique designs, this special edition Aqua Shift design is a cool blue with notes of icier tones and smooth purples. With a similarly colored palette of triggers, joysticks, and buttons, the entire design of the latest controller may just be lovely enough to curb some of that rage quit buildup. Maybe. 

According to the official Xbox blog post revealing the newest controller, "Aqua shift features a surreal, color-shifting blue shimmer that you need to see to believe. Playing with the way the prismatic color moves across our controller, you’ll feel like Aqua Shift comes to life in your hands. Inspired by the fantasy that gaming brings into our lives, we know this mystical beauty will add that magic your controller collection needs."

Xbox also adds that this is the first special edition Xbox Series X/S controller to feature rubberized grips with a "unique dual-color swirl." For those interested, the newest wireless controller is available to pre-order right here for $69.99. This new controller will work on both this generation of Xbox systems and the Xbox One console, which is great as supply issues are still a prominent frustration for those aiming to get a Series X/S. 

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