Hell is Us, the ambitious exploration-focused action-adventure from French studio Rogue Factor, is now available on Xbox Game Pass across Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass tiers. The game landed on the subscription service on July 23, 2026, giving subscribers a chance to explore its ruined world without the usual quest markers or compasses.
The addition is notable not just for the game itself, but for the timing. It arrives about six weeks before Hell is Us's first anniversary, and it offers a glimpse into the strategy of its publisher, Nacon, which has been navigating court-supervised restructuring since filing for insolvency in early 2026. Placing a high-scoring title on Game Pass is a smart way to generate revenue and keep the game in the public eye during a turbulent period.
An Open World That Trusts You to Get Lost
For the uninitiated, Hell is Us is a semi-open world game that deliberately strips away conventional guidance. There are no quest markers, no minimap, no compass. You're dropped into a world devastated by a mysterious calamity, overrun by hostile creatures, and left to find your own way. The story grapples with human violence and emotion, and the exploration is intentionally disorienting—in a good way, if you're tired of games that hold your hand.
Critically, it has performed well. It holds a "Strong" rating on OpenCritic with an average score of 78, based on over 120 reviews. It also boasts "Very Positive" ratings on Steam and a 4.4-star rating on the Xbox Store. Critics consistently praised its high production values, intoxicating atmosphere, and the sheer pull of its exploration.
Where the Combat Fits In
The combat is where things get a bit divisive. It has some surface-level soulslike DNA—a stamina meter, a focus on dodging, deliberate enemy encounters. But Rogue Factor deliberately made it more accessible. The result is a system that doesn't quite reach the heights of the best action RPGs, but also doesn't punish you as harshly. The most common critique in reviews is that the combat can feel repetitive over the course of the game.
"The exploration is intoxicating, the world is rich, but the combat loop wears thin long before the credits roll," one critic noted.
This is a fair trade-off for some. If you're here for the mystery and the world, the combat is functional enough to not get in the way. If you're a combat purist, it might feel like a weak link in an otherwise strong package.
A Reaction to the Map of Icons
Hell is Us fits into a growing subgenre of games that reject the Ubisoft-style open world. Think Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, or even Outer Wilds—games that trust the player to be curious and figure things out. Rogue Factor's approach is a deliberate reaction to the "map full of icons" design philosophy, and landing on Game Pass puts it in front of a massive audience that might be hungry for exactly that kind of experience.
What Else Is Coming to Game Pass?
For Xbox Game Pass subscribers, July 2026 is shaping up to be a strong month. Hell is Us is the 12th addition to the service this month, and it's followed by Halo: Campaign Evolved on July 28, Mistfall Hunter on July 30, and Corsair Cove on July 31. The next major headliner, however, is Beast of Reincarnation from Pokemon developer Game Freak, arriving on August 4.
As for Nacon, the company's decision to put Hell is Us on Game Pass during its restructuring is a pragmatic one. It secures a guaranteed revenue stream from Microsoft, keeps the game's community active, and maintains the publisher's presence in the market while it works on a long-term debt-recovery plan. It's a move that benefits everyone: Nacon gets financial stability, Microsoft gets a quality title for its library, and players get a highly-rated game without an extra purchase.
The Fragile State of the AA Market
There's an underlying concern here, though. Nacon's financial troubles didn't emerge from nowhere. The publishing landscape has been brutal for mid-tier AA games. Hell is Us is a success, but it takes a lot of successes to keep a publisher afloat in today's market. The fact that a "Strong" 78-rated game is being used as a lifeline for its publisher says a lot about the margins in the industry right now.
For now, Hell is Us is a definite recommend for anyone with a Game Pass subscription who has been craving a world that doesn't explain itself. It's a game that respects your time and your intelligence, asking you to look, listen, and get lost. In a landscape of endless sequels and safety-first design, that kind of trust is rare. Go explore.
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