Summary
- Xbox Live Gold and the Games with Gold program will be discontinued in September 2023, and will be replaced by Xbox Game Pass Core.
- The final free Games with Gold offerings are the games Blue Fire and Inertial Drift, available from August 1 to August 31.
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can also claim the free Games with Gold games, as Xbox Live Gold is included in the Game Pass Ultimate package.
Microsoft has announced the final two Xbox Live Gold free Games with Gold games ever. The Games with Gold program has been going on for over a decade now, giving subscribers free games every month. It started on Xbox 360 and carried on through Xbox One and Xbox Series X, though recent years have seen Microsoft put more of its effort on bolstering Xbox Game Pass than securing high-quality games for Games with Gold.
The writing has been on the wall for Xbox Live Gold and Games with Gold for quite some time, and now the demise of both programs has been officially confirmed. Starting on September 14, Xbox Live Gold will cease to exist and will be replaced by Xbox Game Pass Core, a new tier of Microsoft's Game Pass subscription service. This change will also see the end of the Xbox free Games with Gold program, with the August 2023 free games being the last free games the service will ever offer.
The Xbox free Games with Gold games for August 2023 are Blue Fire and Inertial Drift. Whereas the Games with Gold games were previously staggered each month, both Blue Fire and Inertial Drift will be available beginning August 1 with August 31 being the last day for subscribers to claim them.
Xbox Free Games With Gold Games for August 2023
- Blue Fire (August 1 - August 31)
- Inertial Drift (August 1 - August 31)
For those unfamiliar with the games, Blue Fire is a 3D platformer mixed with Zelda and Dark Souls elements that first released in 2021 to mixed reviews. But while it didn't exactly impress critics, fans of the aforementioned games may still want to give it a shot. Inertial Drift, meanwhile, is a racing game that released in 2020 and earned mostly positive reviews from critics. While these may not be especially exciting as the final Games with Gold games ever, anyone that has yet to play these games may still get some value out of them.
It's worth pointing out that the free Games with Gold games are available to more than just those who are signed up for Xbox Live Gold. In fact, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can also claim the free Games with Gold games, as Xbox Live Gold and all its benefits are a part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate package.
In the meantime, Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers still have time to claim the July 2023 free game offerings. The Xbox free Games with Gold games for July 2023 are horror game Darkwood, available until July 31, and When the Past Was Around, which is up for grabs until August 15.