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Xbox Wire’s 2026 release previews list 34 Xbox releases dated August 18 through August 25, inclusive. The schedule has entries for August 18–21 and August 24–25, but none for August 22 or 23. Release dates may change, and the platform and Game Pass labels vary by game.
The dates and descriptions below come from Xbox Wire’s August 17–21 preview and August 24–28 preview. These are schedule previews, not confirmation of current regional store or subscription availability.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
007 First Light - Specialist Edition - Xbox Series X | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
MLB: The Show 26 - Xbox Series X | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
NBA 2K26 - Xbox Series X | $15.79 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Forza Horizon 6 | Standard Edition | XBOX Series X | $42.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER TACTICAL EDITION – XSX | $30.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Xbox releases on August 18, 2026
- Archerio — An action roguelite with handcrafted arenas and upgrade-driven runs. Xbox Wire lists Xbox Series X|S optimization, Smart Delivery, and Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Driving is Hard — A physics-based driving challenge about taking a bathtub on wheels over difficult terrain. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized with Smart Delivery.
- The Sinking City 2 — Third-person survival horror set in 1920s Arkham, featuring inventory management, puzzles, shortcuts, supplies, and upgrades. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized.
Xbox releases on August 19, 2026
- Arcade Archives 2 CYBER CYCLES — A motorcycle racing game originally released by Namco in 1995. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- Cloudy Day — A hand-drawn 2D casual platformer. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- Dark Reflection — A side-scrolling pixel-art adventure with action and puzzles. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized, with Smart Delivery and Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Dungeon Antiqua 2 — A 2D dungeon hack-and-slash RPG with SNES-style pixel art and character building. Listed for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Grim Trials — A heavy-metal action roguelite featuring weapon and equipment crafting. Listed for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Hidden Cats in Barcelona — A hidden-object game set in Barcelona. Listed with Xbox Play Anywhere.
- WonderCat Adventures — An action-platform adventure with 55 levels. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized, with Smart Delivery and Xbox Play Anywhere.
Xbox releases on August 20, 2026
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope — Downloadable content described as a nonlinear expansion with new stories and characters.
- Berry Bury Berry — A first-person incremental game about growing and burying berries, with upgrades and tools. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- Educational Family Games — A local one-to-four-player family game. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized, with Smart Delivery and Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Emoji Killer – Casino Massacre — A roguelike first-person shooter set in a casino. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- Find The Cats 2 — A hidden-object game with new scenes and levels. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- Gallipoli — A World War I PvP game set on the Ottoman Front. Listed for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Ground Zero Hero — A mutation-based action game set in a radioactive wasteland. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized, with Smart Delivery and Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Wings of Beyond (Xbox Series) — A shoot ’em up with 30 stages and three galactic systems. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- Yet Another Zombie Survivors — Listed as a Game Preview title with a free trial; Xbox Series X|S optimized with Smart Delivery.
Xbox releases on August 21, 2026
- Creepy Shift: Uncle Joe’s Motel — A narrative sim-horror game. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized and Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Dark Dungeon Head Haze (Xbox Series) — A low-poly isometric puzzle game where the path becomes mostly dark after the first move. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- KEYQUACK QUEST — A pixel-art platformer about a mallard collecting keys and avoiding traps.
- Mega City Force — An action game about agents fighting criminals and bosses in a crime-ridden city. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized with Smart Delivery.
- No More Slimes!! — A game about fighting slimes and building skill trees from battle loot. Listed with Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Pay To Path (Xbox Series) — A logic puzzle game involving rearranging roads and removing obstacles. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- Psalm 5:9-13 — A short first-person psychological horror walking simulator. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- With Eyes of Ice — A narrative game centered on Gréta Egilsdóttir. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized with Smart Delivery.
Xbox release on August 24, 2026
- B.i.t — A pixel-art platform game with ten worlds. Xbox Wire lists Smart Delivery.
Xbox releases on August 25, 2026
- Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 — A cooperative game for up to four players as Colonial Marines. Listed for Xbox.
- Apidya’ Special — A remake of the 1992 home-computer game, with new pixel art, sound effects, and remixed music. Listed for Xbox Series X|S.
- Blood Dungeon — A 2D platforming survival game with quests and unlockable upgrades. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere, and Game Pass.
- Cozy Tiny Home — A home-decorating game about customizing rooms and furnishings.
- Funguys Swarm — A survivor bullet-hell game. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized and Xbox Play Anywhere.
- Once Human — A multiplayer survival game with cooperative play and base construction. Listed as Xbox Series X|S optimized and Game Pass.
Game Pass and platform notes
Xbox Wire explicitly labels Blood Dungeon and Once Human as Game Pass releases in its August 24–28 preview. That label reflects the preview; check the current Xbox listing for your region and subscription tier before relying on catalog access. No other game in this date range is identified as a Game Pass release in these previews.
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Platform indicators are title-specific. Xbox Wire’s weekly features cover Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass, but a feature’s overall scope does not establish that every listed game supports every platform. Smart Delivery and Xbox Play Anywhere are likewise shown only where noted above. Consult each game’s current store listing for supported devices and purchase options.
Quick Recap
Bestseller No. 1
Best Value
Sale
METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER TACTICAL EDITION – XSX
- The story, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and music that made the original a sensation return, remade for modern consoles
- The story, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and music that made the original a sensation return, remade for modern consoles
- Incredible new graphics bring the wild growth of the jungles, forests, and swamps to life in exquisite detail
- Characters are rendered in fine detail so that facial wrinkles, pores, & separate eye & iris movements are visible, allowing for rich animations
- Any injuries to his actual body will leave their mark permanently, telling a story of each player's unique journey
Rank #4
Sale
Forza Horizon 6 | Standard Edition | XBOX Series X
- DISCOVER JAPAN — Explore Horizon’s largest map ever, set in Japan and packed with dramatic verticality, diverse biomes, and spectacular open‑road driving routes.
- CRUISE ICONIC LOCATIONS — Drive through Tokyo’s city streets, suburbs, docks, and industrial districts in the most expansive urban environment in Horizon history.
- DRIVE 550+ REAL‑WORLD CARS — Collect and customize over 550 licensed vehicles with body kits, Forza Aero, window liveries, and enhanced steering animations.
- BUILD YOUR ESTATE — Purchase beautiful homes across Japan and customize garages to showcase your growing car collection as you rise through the Horizon Festival.
- JOIN THE HORIZON COMMUNITY — Race, cruise, and compete with friends in Time Attack Circuits, Drag Meets, Car Meets, and Horizon multiplayer modes, including Spec Racing Championships.
Rank #3
Sale
NBA 2K26 - Xbox Series X
- POWERED BY ProPLAY: Dominate every possession with immersive technology that directly translates NBA footage into realistic gameplay. Feel more connected to every dribble and crossover with revamped size-ups and experience fast-paced, dynamic movement with all-new ProPLAY features.
- SQUAD UP IN THE CITY: Build a transcendent MyPLAYER and climb the competitive ranks to reach the pinnacle of NBA stardom in an all-new MyCAREER journey. Team up with friends in a stunning, streamlined City, earn recognition and increase your REP, and battle rival squads for Park supremacy.
- UNITE STARS IN MyTEAM: Collect and compete with past and present legends of the game in MyTEAM. Assemble a star-studded roster, put your dream team to the test in new single-player and multiplayer modes, and acquire new cards to make your MyTEAM fantasy a reality.
- YOUR TEAM, YOUR STORY: Lead an NBA franchise as a General Manager in MyNBA. Choose from all 30 teams, experience 30 unique MyGM storylines with real-world inspiration, and chase the ultimate goal: to win a championship. Influence the future of the sport and leave an indelible mark on the league.
Rank #2
Sale
MLB: The Show 26 - Xbox Series X
- Step up and take control of how you leave your mark in the biggest, most immersive MLB The Show yet.
- NEW – Road to Cooperstown & Expanded Amateur Years Career. Your journey to greatness starts here, which path will you choose? Earn a coveted spot at the MLB Draft Combine or catch the eye of one of 11 additional new colleges as you advance through chapters of your career.
- Compete in the officially licensed Men’s NCAA College World Series as you rise from a promising high school talent to one of the all-time MLB greats – immortalized in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and maybe even a place on the first ballot.
- Build your ultimate fantasy team with a new Red Diamond rarity tier and World Baseball Classic player cards featuring elite game-changing players.
- Play revamped Mini-Seasons campaigns as you level up your stars with an upgraded PXP system, customize their skills with Parallel Mods, and hit Parallel V faster through special challenges.
#1 Best Overall
007 First Light - Specialist Edition - Xbox Series X
- ONLY AT AMAZON - SPECIALIST EDITION
- EARN THE NUMBER - Discover a new James Bond origin story, and the events that led a young maverick to become the best MI6 agent.
- A THRILLING ESPIONAGE ADVENTURE - Embark on missions in breathtaking locations, drive iconic vehicles, and dive into a cinematic adventure in pursuit of a rogue agent who’s always one step ahead.
- SPYING, YOUR WAY - Go silent or go loud. Whether fighting with fists or firepower, using gadgets to infiltrate, or bluffing your way past guards, the approach is entirely up to you.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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