Psychonauts 2, Twelve Minutes, Humankind, and more join Xbox Game Pass in August

Xbox Game Pass August 2021
Xbox Game Pass August 2021 (Image credit: Xbox)

What you need to know

  • Xbox Game Pass is a unique gaming subscription service that gives subscribers access to hundreds of high-quality games.
  • As we near the end of August, Xbox has revealed all the games coming to the service in the next coming weeks.
  • There are some seriously heavy hitters here, including Psychonauts 2, Twelve Minutes, and Humankind on PC.
  • Other games are heading to Xbox Cloud Gaming, and even more are gaining touch controls on the service.

We're now entering the second half of August, and Xbox Game Pass is establishing its continued dominance as the premier gaming subscription service with a selection of new titles heading to the service this month. After a strong first half of August dominated by the likes of Hades for Xbox, Xbox has finally revealed the games heading to Xbox Game Pass in the second half of Aug. 2021.

There's a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks, with several high-profile games like Psychonauts 2 and Twelve Minutes launching into Xbox Game Pass. More games on EA Play, like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, also come to Xbox Cloud Gaming on mobile devices for the first time, while other cloud-bound games gain customizable touch controls. For example, Hades is excellent with Xbox Cloud Gaming.

The games on this list can head everywhere that Xbox Game Pass is available, including Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The best games on Xbox Game Pass already include some incredible titles, but new games come all the time to join it. Make sure you never lose track of Xbox Game Pass news by bookmarking our ultimate guide to everything coming to and leaving from Xbox Game Pass.

Coming soon

You can check out all the titles coming soon to Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud gaming below:

Humankind (PC) — Aug. 17

Available on day one with Xbox Game Pass for PC, Humankind is a historical strategy game where you'll be re-writing the entire narrative of human history. Combine up to 60 different cultures to create your own civilization and lead your people from the Ancient to the Modern Age.

Need for Speed Heat (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) via EA Play — Aug. 17

Hustle by day and risk it all at night in Need for Speed Heat, a thrilling race experience that pits you against a city's rogue police force as you battle your way into street racing's elite.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) via EA Play — Aug. 17

Be the hero in the ultimate Star Wars battle fantasy with Star Wars Battlefront II. Experience rich and living Star Wars multiplayer battlegrounds across all three eras: prequel, classic, and new trilogy. Put your mastery of the blaster, lightsaber, and the Force to the test in massive online battles, offline scuffles against AI bots, or together in co-op.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox One, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) via EA Play — Aug. 17

A galaxy-spanning adventure awaits in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a 3rd person action-adventure title from Respawn Entertainment (Titanfall 2, Apex Legends). An abandoned Padawan must complete his training, develop new powerful Force abilities, and master the art of the lightsaber – all while staying one step ahead of the Empire.

Recompile (Xbox Series X|S Optimized, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) — Aug. 19

Available with Xbox Game Pass on day one! This atmospheric, Metroidvania-inspired hacking adventure lets you take control of a semi-sapient program struggling against deletion. In the sprawling 3D world of the Mainframe, Recompile features intense combat, tight 3D platforming, super-powered abilities, and an environmental logic-based hacking mechanic.

Train Sim World 2 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) — Aug. 19

Drive high-speed German rail as you push the throttle in the famous DB ICE 3M out of Köln. Take on the challenge of long freight across Sand Patch Grade using the raw power of the CSX AC4400CW. Master the world-famous London Underground on the Bakerloo Line. All official licenses, all authentically recreated. You're in the cab and in control.

Twelve Minutes (Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox One, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) — Aug. 19

Available with Xbox Game Pass on day one, Twelve Minutes is an interactive thriller about a man trapped in a time loop. Find a way to use the knowledge of what's coming to change the outcome and break the loop. Featuring the voice acting talents of James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.

Psychonauts 2 (Xbox Series X|S Optimized, Xbox One, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) — Aug. 25

From Xbox Game Studios and Double Fine Productions, Psychonauts 2 will be available day one with Xbox Game Pass! Combining quirky missions and mysterious conspiracies, Psychonauts 2 is a platform-adventure game with cinematic style and tons of customizable psychic powers, serving up danger, excitement, and laughs in equal measure as players guide Raz on a journey through the minds of friends and foes on a quest to defeat a murderous psychic villain. Xbox Game Pass members can pre-install today to be ready to play on day one, August 25.

Myst (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming) — Aug. 26

Available with Xbox Game Pass on day one! Welcome to Myst: the starkly beautiful island, eerily tinged with mystery and shrouded in intrigue. Explore the deeper connections and uncover a story of ruthless family betrayal.

Leaving soon

You can check out all the titles leaving soon from Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming below:

Aug. 31

  • Blair Witch (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming)
  • Double Kick Heroes (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming)
  • NBA 2K21 (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, & Xbox Cloud Gaming)
  • Stranger Things 3: The Game (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, & Xbox Cloud Gaming)

Xbox Cloud Gaming touch controls

You can check out all the titles gaining touch controls on Xbox Cloud Gaming below:

  • Hades
  • Bloodroots
  • Farming Simulator 19
  • Going Under
  • Need for Speed Heat (EA Play)
  • Peggle 2 (EA Play)
  • Psychonauts
  • Wasteland 2
  • Wasteland 3
  • Wasteland Remastered
Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.