Good news! If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you’ve got a pretty good summer to look forward to. I mean, even if you’re not, it should still be pretty good. There’s a whole load of upcoming titles that are worth getting excited over (at least, I am, anyway).

There are five games that are confirmed for Game Pass later this year that are especially exciting. Not all of them have confirmed release dates and, even if they did, how often do those stick? These are in no particular order, but they all look like a lot of fun. Let’s get to it.

5

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4

There’s a chance that some of you reading this weren’t even alive when the very first Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater launched back in 1874 or however long ago it was. It certainly feels that long ago to those of us who were there. Back in the day, a new Pro Skater title was as much of an event as the newest Madden NFL or Call of Duty title. It bailed on a few grinds (or whatever skating terminology you want to use here, I don’t care) over the years, but came back strong with the fantastic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+ 2. And, yeah, it’s essentially a remake of the first two games.

It was awesome! And now, a short five years later, the third and fourth games in the series are getting the same treatment. On July 11, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 launches out of the half-pipe and onto your gaming platform of choice (again, if you can think of a better skating metaphor, be my guest). That includes Game Pass. In fact, if you’re a subscriber, you can actually go ahead and download a demo of the first two levels right now.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4

Released

July 11, 2025

ESRB

Teen // Lyrics, Mild Blood, Mild Violence

Developer(s)

Iron Galaxy

Publisher(s)

Activision

Engine

Unreal Engine 4

4

Ninja Gaiden 4

Since we’re on the nostalgia train, here’s another classic franchise itchin’ for a comeback. Only this one has a whole new adventure for us to jump into. Eventually.

The Ninja Gaiden series has been doing its thing since the NES days. It made the transition from 2D to 3D better than most, and the modern games in the series are all widely acclaimed for their frenetic action and relentless difficulty. Well, at least they were until Ninja Gaiden III came along. That game was so poorly received that I’m shocked it’s getting a sequel at all. But, getting a sequel it is, and now we know that it’s not going to be that long of a wait.

Ninja Gaiden 4 will be available on day one with Game Pass in October. In the meantime, you can brush up on those ninja skills by playing Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a great remaster of the legendary sequel, also on Game Pass.

Ninja Gaiden 4

Released

October 21, 2025

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Intense Violence, Blood and Gore

Developer(s)

Koei Tecmo Games Co., Ltd., Team Ninja, Platinum Games

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios

Franchise

Ninja Gaiden

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3

Fable

Remember when Peter Molyneux, the developer of the original Fable games, told the gaming press that players would be able to plant an acorn in the first game and watch it grow over time? And then, it turned out that, no, players couldn’t actually do that? Good times. Unfortunately, the focus over the years on what Molyneux didn’t put in his games has overshadowed what he did, as the original three Fable games (yes, even the third one, shut up) were downright excellent action RPGs in their own right.

Peter’s not involved in this reboot, but do you know who is? Playground Studios, the fine folks behind the Forza Horizon games. Do you want to know who else? How about Richard Ayoade and Matt King? You may have to Google who they are but, once you do, I can assure you that you’ll most likely say “Oh yeah, those guys.” Molyneux isn’t here to make any outlandish promises about upcoming features, but there’s still plenty we’d like to see.

The new Fable doesn’t yet have a release date, but we are assured it will hit both store shelves and Game Pass sometime next year.

Fable

Systems

Released

2026

ESRB

t

Developer(s)

Playground Games

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios

Engine

unreal engine 4, forza tech

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2

Hollow Knight: Silksong

It feels weird talking about Hollow Knight: Silksong as a game that’s actually coming out. For the longest time, it was this generation’s Duke Nukem Forever—a highly anticipated sequel that just seemed like it was never going to be made, much less released. However, this long-awaited follow-up to Hollow Knight looks like it might actually see the light of day sometime this year – and hopefully worth the wait—and hopefully better than Duke Nukem Forever.

When it does, though, you can expect it to be on Game Pass day one. It may even see a release alongside the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally device. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Released

2025

Developer(s)

Team Cherry

Publisher(s)

Team Cherry

Engine

Unity

1

Sleight of Hand

I know I said these were in no particular order, but I just had to save this for numero uno. Why? Because it’s right in my wheelhouse. What do you get when you take the stealth action of Metal Gear Solid and combine it with a deckbuilder? Yes, Metal Gear Ac!d, smarty-pants. What else? Sleight of Hand, that’s what.

Lady Luck is a witch out for revenge in a fantasy noir setting, and she has a whole deck of magic cards at her disposal. She’s even voiced by Meryl Silverberg herself, Debi Mae West, in case the Metal Gear similarities aren’t hitting home hard enough. You’ll throw your cards at enemies, sneak through hideouts, solve mysteries, and then, I dunno, listen to jazz or something. Ey! It’s the Forties! I’m walkin’ heah! Seriously, though, this game looks really cool.

Sleight of Hand has no scheduled release date other than sometime this year, and even that’s a little iffy. Fortunately, it so far looks worth the wait.

That’s just five games you can expect to hit Game Pass at some point this year, and the list keeps growing. Don’t hesitate to let us know which games you are also excited about. That’s why there’s a comments section.