Microsoft announces the free Games With Gold titles for August 2016, revealing a great selection for both the Xbox One and Xbox 360 promotional offerings.

Microsoft has now announced the upcoming Games with Gold lineup for August 2016, and this month's selection should leave most fans happy. As per usual, there are four titles that are split evenly between Xbox One and Xbox 360 digital downloads, and August's selection offers $120 worth of content over what may be the warmest summer month yet.

The Xbox One titles for this August are Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate and WWE 2K16The former will be available for the entire month, while the latter arrives August 16 and will remain available until September 15. On the Xbox 360 side of things, gamers will be able to download Spelunky for the first half of August, and then Beyond Good & Evil HD will assume control for the remainder of the month. Thanks to backward compatibility, both of these titles can be played on the Xbox One.

Gamers interested in taking advantage of the July Games With Gold offerings have less than a week to download the content before it returns to its normal price, so those looking to get in on the Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Banner Saga, or Tron: Evolution action should log onto Xbox Live and complete that transaction before it's too late. Tumblestone will remain accessible until August 15, when WWE 2K16 takes over.

The inclusion of WWE 2K16 is perhaps the biggest surprise, as the game is still retailing for $39.99 and is a fairly mainstream title. It may be too late for fans to enjoy playing as The Terminator, but it's never too late to watch Stone Cold Steve Austin crack a beer and say something cocky. It's a well-timed chance for fans to try out the series while waiting for the eventual release of WWE 2k17, which is slowly revealing its roster over time.

It's also a good thing fans can stroll down the path of nostalgia for Beyond Good & Evil, since the long-awaited sequel to the cult-hit title was absent from this year's E3 convention. Ubisoft has kept the game's slow development mostly under wraps, but has been forced to continually reconfirm that the game is still under production. The original title was actually a PlayStation Plus freebie back in November 2015.

As the name of the promotion implies, gamers must have a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription in order to access the offerings. Giving away free games is a great way to keep the userbase happy, and potentially keep some Xbox Live gamertags from expiring in the process.

Are you satisfied with Microsoft's Games With Gold for August 2016, Ranters? Are there any titles you'd like to see make their way to the catalog?

Source: Major Nelson