5 new Xbox games to play in July 2026

Master Chief leads the charge in a packed month

Times couldn’t possibly be tougher for the Xbox brand. Looming studio closures and hardware price hikes have threatened to chip away any momentum or good will Microsoft managed to gain in the Xbox Series X era. That’s bad news considering that the company is still gearing up to release a new console, Project Helix, some time in the near future. If Xbox is going to hang on to its position in the gaming landscape, a lot is going to hinge on quality games that justify the price tag.

That’s something that Xbox players don’t need to worry about quite yet. As of now, Xbox Series X is still getting a steady stream of promising first- and third-party games to keep players busy. The long-term is unknown, but there are plenty of new games to try this month. From the return of two classics to an indie that’s unlike anything you’ve ever played before, these are this month’s most exciting Xbox Series X games.

1 Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

Release date: July 9

If you ask an Assassin’s Creed fan what the best game in the series is, there’s a good chance they’ll say Black Flag. First released in 2013, the fourth installment of the stealth series went full-on pirate mode for a swashbuckling adventure set in the East Indies. Over a decade later, it's making a comeback as Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Ubisoft’s remake brings a heavy dose of quality of life improvements alongside its visual overhaul that bring it in line with Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The more substantial change, though, is a tweak to the story that sees the modern-day sequences from the original game replaced with something new. That makes us curious enough to return to the high seas all these years later.

2 Ascend to Zero

Release date: July 13

July is historically an indie-heavy month as smaller developers try to avoid the fall rush dominated by AAA games. That’s true this year, with tons of smaller games coming to Xbox Series X. Some of those games will even be coming to Xbox Series X, including Ascend to Zero. Featured during an Xbox Partner Preview event earlier this year, Ascend to Zero is a top-down action-roguelike in the vein of Hades. The twist is that you can manipulate time to freeze enemies in place and deliver powerful attacks. It looks both stylish and hectic, which is a sweet spot that serves the roguelike genre well.

3 Denshattack!

Release date: July 15

I don’t have to say much to explain why Denshattack! is on this list. Imagine Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, but with a train. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, I don’t know what will. The wildly creative indie takes players on a fast-paced tour of Japan lined with train tracks and grind rails. You’ll navigate through those obstacle courses en route to an evil corporation, chaining together tricks along the way. You will believe that a train can do a kickflip. With a concept and visual style that harks back to the Dreamcast era of oddball game design, Denshattack! Will most certainly be the most eye-catching game of the month no matter how it turns out.

Release date: July 23

2026 is shaping up to be a landscape-changing year for the fighting game genre. We’ve already gotten 2XKO and Invincible Vs, while Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls is set to make a splash in August. We might be in for a surprise contender this month, though, thanks to Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. While it may sound like a run-of-the-mill licensed fighting game, early impressions have signaled that developer Gameplay Group International may have a fast and fresh 1vs fighter on its hands. It certainly helps that it sports some hand-drawn animation that makes it look exactly like the cartoon its based on.

5 Halo: Campaign Evolved

Release date: July 28

Xbox is ending the month where the system began: The Halo game that started it all is getting a remake that paints its original campaign in a glitzy new light. Halo: Campaign Evolved gives the shooter story a cinematic overhaul, and even brings some additional tricks to the table. New weapons, enemies, and vehicles look to freshen up a dorm room classic and reunite old co-op pals. Even more intriguing is that it comes with three brand-new missions, as well as gameplay-modifying Skulls that will give players more reasons to replay levels. In a dark era for Xbox, Campaign Evolved feels a bit symbolic. Maybe it will be the game Xbox needs to get back to its roots and start over.