Xbox Game Pass users can start playing Winds of Arcana: Ruination as part of their subscriptions starting today. This is the first brand new title to join the service in July 2026 and the 110th Xbox Game Pass release since the turn of the year.
The debut title from Bangalore-based indie studio Brewed Games, Winds of Arcana: Ruination is a dark fantasy metroidvania that follows Aryn, a mercenary who searches cursed lands for signs of her missing comrades. Its core gameplay loop consists of 2.5D exploration, side-scrolling combat, strategizing with tools, weapons, spells and upgrades, and the occasional boss fight, with the overall experience having a mission-based structure. Instead of a linear action game, Winds of Arcana: Ruination revolves around a building-driven exploration loop, with players backtracking through an interconnected world, unlocking new routes and shaping Aryn's playstyle through various weapon-and-magic combinations.
Xbox Game Pass Losing 12 Games on July 15th
Xbox Game Pass is hit with one of its biggest exodus in years on July 15, when a dozen titles are slated to leave the service.
Winds of Arcana: Ruination joins Xbox Game Pass at the launch of Series X/S
1312 Interactive originally published Winds of Arcana: Ruination as a PC exclusive in November 2025. Almost eight months later, Indian indie Metroidvania came to Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Series X/S on July 6. Although some titles have quietly moved to lower Xbox Game Pass tiers since the beginning of the month, Winds of Arcana: Ruination is the first new game added to Microsoft's subscription catalog in July 2026.
Winds of Arcana: Ruination is available to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers. It's also optimized for Windows handhelds and can be streamed via Xbox Cloud Gaming. Xbox Play Anywhere software support is also part of the package, allowing Winds of Arcana to offer seamless cross-progression across Xbox platforms.
Upcoming Xbox Game Pass games (confirmed release dates only)
|
Date |
Game |
Game Pass Level(s) |
Platform(s) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
July 6 |
Winds of Arcana: Ruination |
Ultimate, PC, Premium |
Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC |
|
|
July 13 |
Go up to zero |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
July 17 |
Joint piercer |
Ultimate, PC |
PC |
Day one release. |
|
July 21 |
The Planet Crafter |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day One (Series X/S) release. |
|
July 28 |
Halo: Campaign Evolved |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
Aug. 4 |
The Beast of Reincarnation |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
Aug. 14 |
Grave seasons |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
Aug 27 |
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
September 25 |
Valor Mortis |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
Sep 29 |
Minecraft Dungeons 2 |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
Oct. 6 |
Gears of War: E-Day |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
Oct. 8 |
Forever since |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
18 Feb |
Persona 4 Revival |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
|
23 Feb |
Fable |
Ultimate, PC |
Cloud, PC, Series X/S |
Day one release. |
From February to June 2026, the first new Xbox Game Pass title of each month arrived within the first five days. The wait in July has therefore been slightly longer, although new additions are expected to pick up speed soon.
The July 2026 Wave 1 Xbox Game Pass lineup will likely be announced later today, July 6, or tomorrow, based on Microsoft's latest content cadence. This month's famous list already includes Go up to zero, Joint piercer, The Planet Crafterand Halo: Campaign Evolved.
