Amid experiences of potential studio closures and mass layoffs, Microsoft has introduced the Xbox Game Pass June 2026 Wave 2 lineup of video games. It has but to remark, nevertheless, on this week’s rumors that the likes of Hellblade developer Ninja Idea, Psychonauts developer Double Fantastic, and South of Midnight developer Compulsion could shut down.
As revealed on Xbox Wire, coming to Xbox Game Pass through the second half of June are EA Sports activities FC 26, which is in fact timed to coincide with the continuing World Cup, RV There But?, and Winds of Arcana: Ruination. In the meantime, 2021 Name of Obligation sport Vanguard hits Game Pass this month. There are not any day one releases for the remainder of June, with Junkster releasing at present, June 16.
Game Pass troopers on amid new Xbox boss Asha Sharma’s “reset” of the gaming enterprise, which seems to be like it is going to lead to various high-profile casualties. Yesterday, The Game Business reported that Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan had stepped down, and information of varied Microsoft studios doubtlessly closing down emerged quickly after. IGN has requested Microsoft for remark however it’s but to reply. Double Fantastic, nevertheless, did concern a single emoji social media publish, summing up the way it feels proper now.
Based on Bloomberg, Compulsion, Ninja Idea, and Double Fantastic aren’t the one Microsoft studios at the moment negotiating with Xbox to attempt to keep away from closure, both. There’s the potential for some or all to purchase their solution to independence, though that will doubtless come alongside layoffs, too.
Following Sharma’s “reset” warning, one analyst advised IGN “the studios most uncovered are sensible for status and rotten for the spreadsheet.” Microsoft was then mentioned to be dashing up improvement on new The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Halo video games because it thought of restructuring and even spinning off its gaming department.
Sharma’s ground-shaking memo revealed that Microsoft’s gaming enterprise at the moment has a 3% accountability margin (assumed to imply revenue margin), which is down year-on-year. “Excluding Activision Blizzard King, over the previous 5 years, now we have spent over $20 billion on ongoing investments in our content material, platform, and {hardware} subsidy, however our annual income has declined almost half a billion throughout that point. Going ahead, this can’t proceed,” Sharma mentioned.
Xbox Video games Sequence Tier Record
Xbox Video games Sequence Tier Record
Following the discharge of the memo, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella mentioned “there’s extra monetization of Xbox video games taking place on YouTube” than at Xbox, including that the Xbox group wanted to determine methods to “innovate each in {hardware}, in addition to within the video games, going ahead in an economically viable approach.”
“Nobody can accuse Microsoft of not having invested for the final 25 years,” Nadella added. “Now, now we have to show this right into a sustainable enterprise that delivers what’s essentially among the best sources of leisure, nonetheless.”
New Xbox chief technique officer Matthew Ball not too long ago mentioned Game Pass misplaced “thousands and thousands of subscribers” after Microsoft elevated costs by 50% in October 2025. One of many first technique adjustments Sharma introduced in was a value minimize.
This week’s grim information marks a big U-turn on Xbox model sentiment, after Sharma had began to show core followers round with various crowd-pleasing adjustments similar to the choice to make The Coalition’s Gears of Struggle: E-Day and inXile’s Clockworld Revolution console exclusives. The Xbox layoffs are anticipated to come back into impact on the finish of Microsoft’s monetary yr on June 30.
Xbox Game Pass June 2026 Wave 2 lineup:
- Name of Obligation: Vanguard (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 17, Game Pass Final, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- EA Sports activities FC 26 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 18, Game Pass Final, PC Game Pass
- Abyssus (Cloud, XBOX Sequence X|S, and PC) – June 25, Game Pass Final, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- RV There But? (Cloud, XBOX Sequence X|S, and PC) – June 30, Game Pass Final, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 + 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 2, Now with Game Pass Premium; becoming a member of Game Pass Final and PC Game Pass
- Winds of Arcana: Ruination (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – July 6, Game Pass Final, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
As ordinary, various video games are set to depart Game Pass this month.
Video games leaving Xbox Game Pass on June 30:
- Mecha Break (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Payday 2 (Console)
- Rise of Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Slay the Spire (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Final Hen Horse (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Volcano Princess (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Unpacking (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.