Halo: Campaign Evolved, Hell is Us and more join Xbox Game Pass

Microsoft has revealed the next wave of titles for Xbox Game Pass, and it's a varied batch. The headliner is Halo: Campaign Evolved, a full remake of the original Halo campaign that arrives on July 28th.

Also dropping this week is Hell is Us, a non-linear post-apocalyptic adventure that landed a year ago to a quieter reception. It joins the service on July 23rd.

Why This Matters

Halo: Campaign Evolved is the first Halo game to run entirely on Unreal Engine 5. That's a notable departure from the series' long history with Bungie- and 343-built engines, and it raises real questions about how the classic feel will translate. Graphically, it looks strong, but the shooting, the movement, the sandbox — those are the things that matter.

Since our Halo Infinite analysis last year, the franchise has been in a strange place. This remake is a test: can the soul of the original survive a full engine transplant?

How We Got Here

Microsoft has been positioning Game Pass as a home for both blockbuster nostalgia and smaller experimental titles. Hell is Us fits the latter category, offering a combat-focused world that lets players explore without a strict path. It's the kind of game that benefits from the subscription model — easy to try, easy to walk away from.

Here's the full list of arrivals and their launch dates:

Shift at Midnight (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – July 22
Hell is Us (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – July 23
Halo: Campaign Evolved (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC) – July 28
Mistfall Hunter (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – July 30
Corsair Cove (PC) – July 31
Heretic + Hexen (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC) – August 4
Beast of Reincarnation (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – August 4

"Are you planning on installing any of the new Game Pass titles?"

That's the question KitGuru posed in their announcement. It's the right one to ask, because Game Pass's value lives in how much you actually play, not just what's listed.

"Hell is Us has been on my radar for a while now so I'm looking forward to trying it."

Hell is Us is exactly the kind of mid-tier project that often gets overlooked at retail but can find an audience on a subscription service. Its non-linear structure and moody world could make it a sleeper hit here.

What This Means for Gamers

Beyond the new arrivals, there's the usual churn. On July 31st, several games leave the library, including Crusader Kings 3, Celeste, and Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord. If you've been meaning to play those, you've got about a week.

The bigger picture is that Microsoft continues to use Game Pass as a testing ground for how older franchises can be revived. Halo: Campaign Evolved is arguably the most significant experiment this year — not just for Halo fans, but for anyone watching how Unreal Engine 5 is reshaping Xbox's future.

August brings Heretic and Hexen on the 4th, alongside Beast of Reincarnation. That's a solid cap to the summer slate. For now, whether you load up Hell is Us or dive into the upgraded Halo campaign depends on what kind of week you want to have.