Madden NFL 26 Leads This Week’s Xbox Drops—But Don’t Miss These Hidden Gems

Ready to play more? Another wave of weekly Xbox releases is here, with new games launching like Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 26.

The latest entry in the annual sports franchise is leaving the Xbox One behind this year, a first for the franchise since 2013's Madden NFL 25 (not to be confused with last year's Madden NFL 25).

It's fairly telling that even a sports franchise like this is finally leaving the older hardware behind.

While all these new games are great, don't forget that Bethesda Softworks, id Software, and Nightdive teamed-up to shadowdrop the Heretic + Hexen remaster at QuakeCon 2025. It's available right now in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Now, here is everything coming to the Xbox Store this week:

August 12, 2025

• Echoes of the End (Xbox Series X|S): "Echoes of the End is a cinematic third-person action-adventure game. It blends a deeply personal, character-driven story with thrilling magic and sword-based combat, engaging traversal and thought-provoking puzzles. Inspired by Iceland, this epic adventure offers a mature, rich and immersive experience in a breathtaking and original fantasy world."
• Ra Ra Boom (Xbox Series X|S): "Gear up for 4-player co-op action with a modern twist! Ra Ra BOOM rockets you to a future Earth overrun by rogue AI. Battle waves of enemies and upgrade your ninja cheerleader’s skills as you beat ‘em up, shoot ‘em up, and smash through the chaos!"
• Temari Trials (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC): "Step into the sharp mind (and quick paws) of a samurai cat in training! In Temari Trials, you'll solve logic-based Sokoban-style puzzles, pushing temaris to unlock chests and prove you're ready for the warrior's path. With pixel art visuals and grid-based gameplay, it's easy to learn but hard to master. Each level challenges your thinking — and if you make a mistake, don't worry: you can undo as many times as you like. Precision is part of the training!"
• Viewfinder (Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC): "Challenge perception, redefine reality, and reshape the world around you with an instant camera. Viewfinder is a new single player game offering gamers hours of interesting and fun experiences while uncovering the mysteries left behind."

August 13, 2025

• DUCK: Dangerous Ultimate Cartridge Kidnapper (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "A group of ducklings finds a mysterious 100-in-1 cartridge and are now forced to play all the games to escape the insidious cartridge spirit! 100 microgames, fun and increasing difficulty—what more do you need for an interesting adventure?"
• Faye Falling (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Take the role of a recently passed soul, unable to recall who you are or how you died. After a chance encounter with a powerful entity, you begin an epic journey to defeat a growing darkness, while recovering your memories along the way. Engage in fast-paced turn-based battles against a wide variety of enemies, evade damage by dodging enemy attacks in snappy minigames and cast powerful spells to fend off your opponents."
• Midnight Cat Heist (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Play as a sneaky city cat with sticky paws and a heart of gold. Sneak, leap, and loot your way through cozy urban levels to bring the purrfect gifts home to your beloved human. Every shiny trinket is a treasure in this 2D pixel platformer of feline thievery and chaotic charm! "

August 14, 2025

• Curse Rounds (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Curse Rounds is a frantic game where you must try to survive random rounds, accumulating a curse with each room from the 60+ available cards in the game, while killing enemies with your pistolflash and a variety of amazing shots. No two attempts are ever the same!"
• Diamond Hands: To The Moon (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Diamond Hands: To The Moon is a deceptively simple yet brutally challenging platformer where your mission is clear: get to the moon. Move left, move right, jump, that’s all you’ve got. But mastering your jump strength is key to landing on those elusive platforms and climbing higher."
• Dorfromantik (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "In Dorfromantik you start with a stack of procedurally generated tiles. One after the other, you draw the top tile of the stack, place it on one available slot and rotate for the best fit. Thereby groups and combinations of landscapes are formed, such as forests, villages or water bodies, and you are rewarded with points depending on how well the tile fits."
• Lost Twins 2 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC): "Rearrange the world. Reunite the twins. Rediscover wonder. Abi and Ben are lost—but not alone. In Lost Twins 2, you'll shift entire pieces of the world to guide them through a beautifully handcrafted puzzle adventure full of cozy charm and clever surprises."
• Madden NFL 26 (Xbox Series X|S): "From the Skol chant in Minnesota to the light show in Baltimore, immerse yourself in new presentation across the NFL including game-impacting weather, team traditions, and dynamic halftime shows with Scott Hanson. Madden NFL 26. Real NFL Data, Unreal NFL Moments."
• Relic Hunters Legend (Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC): "Relic Hunters Legend is a fast-paced looter-shooter RPG where you collect powerful weapons, upgrade skills, and battle enemies in intense combat. Play solo or team up in a 4-player co-op as you embark on a journey to recover lost memories and take down the tyrant Duke Ducan."
• Steampunch (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Steampunch: Lost Tombs is the second game in the franchise, and it takes the action to a whole new level with simplified combat, mysterious levers, and precision-based platforming. Run, jump, and dash in eight directions as you explore dangerous tombs, collect relics, and unlock portals to the next challenge."
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown (Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC): "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown is the first-ever turn-based TMNT video game. Inspired by the classic cartoon, you'll experience a bold new approach to the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Splinter and Shredder are dead, and as the Turtles approach adulthood, they're not just growing up... they're growing apart."
• Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol.1 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "The name Toaplan is legendary. This game company is behind some of the best and most iconic shoot 'em ups in gaming history. These games were not only hugely influential, inspiring countless other developers throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. They’re still just as great today!"
• Toaplan Arcade Collection Vol. 2 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "With The Toaplan Shooting Collection Vol. 2, you get eight of these milestones. Enjoy them as the historical classics they are, or simply as fantastic action games packed with pixel explosions and crisp 2D graphics. It's quadruple the action, a billion times the fun, and a thrill ride back in time to the neon-lit arcades of the past!"

August 15, 2025

• 1989 After The War (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "As an ex-agent named Sebastian Beck, you’ll face off against 7 dangerous criminals and traverse 7 levels filled with enemies and traps to overcome. The game also challenges you with a unique mechanic where the environment becomes increasingly hostile due to radiation—reach regenerating refrigerators that serve as life-saving checkpoints."
• Bangman (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Bangman — a perfect example of what a pixel-art roguelike should be. The game gives you everything you love: hordes of monsters, tons of unique characters, countless ways to slaughter them, and many, many, many attempts to do so. Wondering what’s in short supply here? The game costs very little money! And that’s always nice."
• Bendy: Lone Wolf (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Step into the inky nightmare of Bendy: Lone Wolf, a thrilling survival adventure set in the twisted, rubberhose world of Joey Drew Studios. As Boris, the lone wolf, you’ll brave endlessly shifting corridors filled with monstrous cartoon creeps, deadly traps, and the relentless pursuit of the Ink Demon. Every day brings new challenges in this heart-pounding quest for survival and truth."
• Demons are coming! (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Your once-sacred homeland now lies in the grip of a demonic invasion. Wielding two fully customizable weapons, you'll fight back with precision and power—dodging, parrying, and blazing through relentless enemy hordes. With hundreds of upgrade combinations, adapt your playstyle and push back the darkness. Shatter enemy cover, deflect incoming fire, and emerge as a true slayer of demons."
• Girls of the Tower (Xbox Series X|S): "Girl squad assembled! Conquer the tower in this auto chess adventure! In this adventure, you can recruit over 70 unique companions across 17 races and classes, including orcs, archers, assassins, dwarves, elves, mages, and more. Build your ultimate team by combining their abilities and synergy."
• GOST of Time (Xbox Series X|S): "42 and more ways of using your own dead body in time travel. GOST of Time is an absurdist top-down action and puzzle game with time-traveling mechanics."
• Hidden Depths (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Hidden Depths is a challenging 2D platformer in pixel art style with fixed-screen levels, where each stage is a deadly puzzle on its own. Step into the boots of a young explorer who, upon receiving an ancient map, decides to enter a mysterious cave from which no one has ever returned."
• INAYAH - Life after Gods (Xbox Series X|S): "In the post-apocalyptic remnants of an advanced alien civilization, an orphaned outcast named Inayah sets out on a perilous journey to find her tribe. Guided by her mentor, she navigates a divided world, forging bonds and uncovering secrets that redefine the meaning of family. Experience an emotionally charged adventure where every decision shapes Inayah's destiny. "
• Maze: Path of Light (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC): "Embark on a relaxing yet mind-bending journey through thousands of uniquely designed mazes. From classic square puzzles to complex circular, triangular, and even hexagonal labyrinths—experience a truly diverse and enchanting experience."
• Mind Over Magnet (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC): "An attractive puzzle platformer where you use magnetism to escape a factory. Meet a cast of magnet characters and work together to solve logical conundrums."
• Ukko & Guará: Stellarbound (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One): "Join Ukko and Guará on a poetic journey to restore a fallen star! Ukko & Guará: Stellarbound is a single-player cooperative puzzle adventure game that blends hand-drawn art with clever challenges and a contemplative atmosphere."
• Zumba - Treasure of the Marble Sea (Xbox Series X|S): "Zumba – Treasure of the Marble Sea throws you into a fast-paced marble shooter set in a colorful pirate world! Help your cheeky pirate survive the marble madness by shooting, matching, and destroying endless waves of rolling marbles."

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and play day one Xbox games whichever way you'd like, on Xbox consoles, PC, or even through the Cloud on a wide range of devices. Going with this tier means you never miss out on anything coming to the service.

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