Hell is Us Joins Xbox Game Pass with Exploration-First Action

With subscription libraries constantly reshaping what players can try next, Xbox Game Pass has added a standout 2025 action adventure built around exploration and narrative. The latest update brings Hell is Us to multiple Game Pass tiers—an arrival that also caps a busy July for the service.

What’s New: Hell is Us Arrives on Game Pass

Hell is Us is now available on Xbox Game Pass across three non-Essential tiers: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass. The game landed on July 23, roughly six weeks ahead of its first anniversary.

This is the 12th addition to Xbox Game Pass in July 2026, and three more titles are scheduled to join before the month ends. For players, that means Hell is Us is arriving not as a solitary pick, but as part of a broader push to keep the catalog fresh through late July.

Hell is Us was developed by the French studio Rogue Factor and published by Nacon, another France-based company.

Exploration-Driven Action in a Semi-Open World

Hell is Us is a 2025 action adventure centered on exploration in a semi-open world. Rather than relying on conventional navigation aids—such as quest markers, compass guidance, or maps—the game asks players to actively search through a ruined environment.

The setting is tied to a mysterious calamity that has left the world devastated and crawling with hostile creatures. Along the way, the narrative focuses on human violence and emotion, giving the exploration a story thread rather than treating it as pure sightseeing.

While the combat includes elements that may feel familiar to fans of soulslike action—like a stamina meter and an emphasis on dodging—it doesn’t fully copy that style. Reviewers highlighted that the combat system is more approachable overall and ultimately follows its own design direction.

Reception and What Critics Focused On

Hell is Us has been met with strong critical reception since launch. On OpenCritic, it carries a “Strong” rating based on 128 reviews, with an average score of 78. Steam user reviews are described as “Very Positive,” and the Xbox Store shows a 4.4-star rating.

Critics praised the game’s production values, atmosphere, and exploration. The main recurring complaint centered on combat, with reviewers often describing it as repetitive.

The timing of its Game Pass debut also stands out in the context of its publisher. Nacon has continued releasing games even after filing for insolvency in early 2026, with the company later moving into court-supervised restructuring and pursuing a broader debt-recovery plan.

Late-July Game Pass Rollout and Upcoming Releases

Before the end of the month, Xbox Game Pass is set to add three more confirmed releases. The next one is Halo: Campaign Evolved on July 28, followed by Mistfall Hunter on July 30. The final day of July brings PC-exclusive Corsair Cove.

There’s also a notable calendar shift on July 31, when Xbox Game Pass is expected to lose some of its highest-rated games, including Crusader Kings 3. Looking ahead, the service’s next major release is scheduled for August 4: Beast of Reincarnation, a new title from Pokémon developer Game Freak.

Key points

• Hell is Us joins Xbox Game Pass on July 23 across Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
• The game emphasizes semi-open exploration without quest markers, compass guidance, or maps.
• Critical reception is strong (OpenCritic “Strong,” average 78; “Very Positive” on Steam; 4.4 on Xbox Store).
• More Game Pass additions follow in late July, while some top titles are set to leave on July 31.

Confirmed late-July additions to Xbox Game Pass

Expert View

Hell is Us landing on multiple Game Pass tiers signals how Microsoft continues to treat exploration-forward single-player experiences as subscription staples—not just multiplayer backfills. For the broader market, it’s also a reminder that publishers in restructuring can still drive visibility through high-traffic platforms like Game Pass. In community terms, the contrast between praised atmosphere and criticized combat repetition could shape early chatter: players may lean into the game for its navigation-light exploration and narrative tone, while watching how the game’s combat loop holds up over longer sessions.