Xbox Game Pass August 2025 Leaves 5 Games, Borderlands 3 & Sea of Stars Lead

Microsoft confirmed that five titles will leave Xbox Game Pass at the end of August, with Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition and Sea of Stars among the most notable removals — players have until August 31 to finish, download, or buy these games before they disappear from the service.

Background​

Xbox Game Pass has become a defining product for Microsoft’s gaming strategy: a rotating library that mixes day-one releases, first‑party exclusives, indie darlings, and licensed third‑party games. That rotation is deliberate — titles come and go as licensing agreements expire, publisher arrangements change, and Microsoft reshuffles the catalog to make room for fresh content. The August removals are part of that predictable monthly rhythm, but this particular tranche contains several high-profile and long-form games whose departures will matter to many subscribers.

What Microsoft announced (the short list)​

Microsoft’s August round of leavers includes five titles scheduled to leave on August 31:

• Ben 10: Power Trip (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Borderlands 3 — Ultimate Edition (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Sea of Stars (Console, PC, Cloud)
• This War of Mine: Final Cut (Console, PC, Cloud)

Multiple outlets reported and confirmed the August 31 date and the complete list as part of the company’s standard monthly update. (purexbox.com, polygon.com)

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Why these particular departures matter​

Borderlands 3 — the big headline​

The departure of Borderlands 3 — Ultimate Edition is the standout for most Game Pass subscribers. This is a major AAA looter‑shooter with a long campaign, multiple story DLCs, and heavy replayability through loot‑hunting and endgame systems. Critically, its removal happens mere weeks before the scheduled launch of Borderlands 4, meaning many players who planned to "catch up" before the sequel arrives will have a narrow window to do so. 2K and Gearbox have set Borderlands 4 to launch in September, and the timing makes the Game Pass exit feel like a clear prelude to the series’ next chapter. (take2games.com, purexbox.com)
Estimated time to complete Borderlands 3 with its major DLC packs ranges widely by playstyle, but reputable time‑to‑beat aggregators put a typical full playthrough with DLC in the 60–80 hour range for most players. That makes finishing the game before August 31 a real stretch unless you’re already well advanced.

Sea of Stars — indie darling with appetite for time​

Sea of Stars is a critically praised, turn‑based RPG that earned a passionate following for its retro‑inspired combat, modern design, and substantive story. The game is not a short one: community‑sourced completion estimates put it in the 40–50 hour range for most players who pursue story and side content. Its removal will be felt by RPG fans who hoped to experience one of the month’s most beloved indie titles while it was part of the subscription library. (trueachievements.com, purexbox.com)

This War of Mine: Final Cut — heavy, lengthy, and affecting​

This War of Mine: Final Cut is a survival/societal drama that’s better described as an interactive narrative about civilian survival than a conventional action or RPG title. It’s pacing and structure encourage multiple playthroughs — full completion including expansions can push playtime past 40–50 hours depending on goals. Its emotional weight and difficulty also make it a title players are often reluctant to abandon mid‑campaign. (trueachievements.com, purexbox.com)

Ben 10: Power Trip and Paw Patrol — family and quick‑play exits​

Both children’s titles — Ben 10: Power Trip and Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay — are shorter experiences. Paw Patrol is especially quick, with community completion estimates near 3–4 hours, making it the easiest of the five to finish before removal. Ben 10: Power Trip runs longer (community estimates around 15–20 hours), but remains far shorter than Borderlands or This War of Mine — still, parents relying on Game Pass as a low‑cost way to try family games should take note. (truetrophies.com, reddit.com)

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Playtime reality check — what you can actually finish by August 31​

• Borderlands 3 (60–80 hours with DLC): unrealistic to finish from scratch in two weeks unless you’re sprinting; better to prioritize main story or save progress offline.
• Sea of Stars (40–50 hours): a meaningful time investment — possible only if you’re already partway through.
• This War of Mine: Final Cut (20–50 hours depending on objectives and DLC): emotionally dense and difficult to “rush.”
• Ben 10: Power Trip (≈15–20 hours): doable in a focused weekend if you prioritize it.
• Paw Patrol (≈3–4 hours): trivial to finish quickly; best pick for families with limited time.

These community‑sourced run times are aggregated from player reports and completion trackers; they’re useful planning guides but will vary with playstyle, difficulty settings, and how many side activities you pursue.

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How to act now: download, buy, or accept the loss​

If one of these games matters to you, a few practical options exist:

• Download and keep local access while the game remains in your library. If you’ve already installed and the game uses local save files, you’ll retain your save data after it’s removed — but you’ll only be able to play if you purchase the title or if it returns to Game Pass later. This is the simplest short‑term hedge.
• Purchase at a discount: Microsoft historically offers a discount on Game Pass titles that are leaving the service (commonly around 20% or more) for a limited window before removal. Those discounts can vary by region and by publisher, so check your store page for the exact offer. Buying the game is the only guaranteed way to retain access indefinitely (outside of future Game Pass re‑additions). (purexbox.com, windowscentral.com)
• Wait and watch: sometimes titles return to Game Pass after delisting, particularly if license terms are renegotiated or if a new release in a franchise promotes a re‑add (publishers sometimes bring prior entries back when a sequel launches). That said, re‑entries are neither guaranteed nor timely.

Caveat: saving install files alone does not equal ownership. If you delete a game from your device after it leaves Game Pass, reinstalling it later will require you to repurchase unless it returns to the subscription.

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Why Microsoft and publishers remove games (the mechanics)​

A few practical reasons explain these rotations:

• Licensing and third‑party deals: many non‑first‑party titles on Game Pass are there under time‑limited licensing deals between Microsoft and publishers. When those agreements expire, the publisher or Microsoft may choose not to renew.
• Promotional windows and sequel launches: publishers sometimes allow earlier entries on Game Pass for a limited time to build interest and then pull them to boost direct sales around a sequel — the Borderlands 3 removal ahead of Borderlands 4 illustrates the point.
• Catalog churn to make room for new content: Game Pass aims to offer a balance of breadth and freshness; removing older or lower‑engagement titles frees budget and storefront space to add anticipated or exclusive releases.

These mechanics are consistent with the broader commercial imperatives of subscription services — rotate content to maintain perceived value, use timed windows to promote paid purchases, and negotiate renewals based on expected engagement and financial return.

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The business and user‑experience tradeoffs​

Strengths of the rotating model​

• Subscribers get access to a vast catalog for a fixed monthly fee, including many premium day‑one titles.
• Rotation enables Microsoft to secure expensive licenses on favorable, time‑limited terms rather than buy indefinite rights.
• For many players, Game Pass remains the single best way to sample games they wouldn’t otherwise try.

Risks and recurring complaints​

• Library volatility: players frustrated by losing access to long‑played titles often cite the “subscription vs ownership” tension. The feeling of losing access to a game you were mid‑campaign in can be acute.
• Timing friction: removals timed close to sequels (as with Borderlands 3) can feel like a deliberate push to drive sales rather than a user‑friendly rotation.
• Uneven discounting: publisher decisions determine sale pricing; a 20% Game Pass holdback discount may be insufficient for some, particularly when bundled or deluxe editions carry high price points.

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What the August exits say about Game Pass strategy​

The August list underscores a few strategic realities about Game Pass in 2025:

• Microsoft is balancing AAA, indie, and family content across tiers and time windows. The presence of both Borderlands 3 and Paw Patrol in the same exit list shows the breadth of the service’s audience and the need to rotate diverse content.
• Timing matters: removing Borderlands 3 in the run‑up to Borderlands 4 suggests coordination with publishers to maximize sequel interest (and potential pre‑orders). That alignment of subscription curation with publisher marketing is a predictable but sometimes controversial tactic.
• The catalog will keep shifting: Game Pass remains a living library, not a permanent collection. Subscribers who rely on it as their sole means of access should factor in churn when planning long campaigns or family play sessions.

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Recommendations for subscribers (practical, prioritized)​

• If you’re mid‑campaign in any of the five titles, prioritize saving and backing up your local game and save files now. For Xbox/PC Game Pass, your cloud saves will typically remain available, but you’ll need to repurchase to continue after removal.
• If you only want to experience the story of Borderlands 3 before September’s Borderlands 4, focus on main‑story objectives rather than completionism — finishing the core narrative is significantly faster than truly completing every side arc.
• For family play, Paw Patrol is trivial to complete quickly; book a single afternoon and finish it while it’s still in‑service. Ben 10 can fit into a long weekend. (truetrophies.com, reddit.com)
• Consider purchasing titles you absolutely want to keep; check the store page immediately for any “leaving Game Pass” discounts, but be prepared that price reductions may be modest.

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Potential blind spots and unverifiable points​

• Discount levels: while outlets frequently report the typical “20% while in Game Pass” sale for leavers, actual discount percentages vary by region, retailer, edition (standard vs. ultimate), and publisher promotion. Subscribers should check their local Microsoft Store page for the exact price. This is a caveat rather than a contradiction — the common 20% figure is a historical pattern but not a guaranteed rule.
• Return windows: whether a removed title will return to Game Pass later depends on negotiation and publisher interest. Past behavior suggests re‑adds happen, but the timeline is unpredictable and often publisher‑driven.

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Broader implications for the Xbox ecosystem​

The August exits are an exemplar of how subscription curation intersects with console lifecycle events and publisher roadmaps. A major franchise sequel arriving in September creates both a promotional opportunity and a pressure point: do you let the older entry linger on Game Pass and potentially reduce sequel sales, or do you pull it to create an upsell moment? Publishers and platform holders frequently choose the latter.
For Microsoft, maintaining Game Pass’s perceived value requires a steady inflow of high‑profile and niche content while accepting churn. For players, that means adjusting expectations: Game Pass is excellent for discovery and sampling, less consistent for indefinite catalog ownership.

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Conclusion​

The August 31 removals give subscribers a clear deadline and a mixed bag of choices: a sprawling AAA grind (Borderlands 3), a beloved indie RPG (Sea of Stars), a hard‑hitting survival narrative (This War of Mine: Final Cut), and two family titles with short playtimes. The practical advice is simple: if one of these games matters, act now — download, play, or buy before the end of August. The list also highlights the structural realities of subscriptions: value comes with turnover, and that turnover is often tied directly to publisher strategy and commercial timing, especially around major sequels like Borderlands 4 in September. (purexbox.com, take2games.com)
For readers planning their Game Pass time this month, the calculus is one of priorities: finish what’s close, buy what you can’t risk losing, and accept that the library will keep rotating — that’s how the subscription model preserves breadth and freshness, even when it means handing the keys back over to publishers on a fixed schedule.

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Source: Windows Report These 5 Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass Late In August