Every month, it seems Xbox Live Gold subscribers are given the opportunity to claim free games early. That's the case with the second batch of Xbox free Games with Gold games for August 2022, which aren't supposed to be available until August 16, but are currently up for grabs for anyone with a Gold or Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

The Xbox free Games with Gold program nets players four free games every month, and the games are free to keep as long as one stays subscribed to Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Ultimate. The August 2022 offerings kicked off on August 1 with Calico and Xbox 360 game Saints Row 2. Calico will remain available for Xbox Live Gold subscribers to claim until it's removed from the lineup on August 31, while August 15 is the last day fans can grab Saints Row 2 for free.

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The newly-added free games are ScourgeBringer and Monaco: What's Yours is Mine. ScourgeBringer is available for Xbox Live Gold subscribers to claim until September 15, but Monaco: What's Yours is Mine will only be available until August 31. Both games are available to claim right now, along with the other Xbox free Games with Gold for August 2022.

Xbox Games With Gold August 2022

  • Calico (August 1 - August 31)
  • ScourgeBringer (August 16-September 15)
  • Saints Row 2 (August 1-August 15)
  • Monaco: What's Yours is Mine (August 16-August 31)

August 2022 marks one of the last months that Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be able to claim four free games. It was recently announced by Microsoft that the Xbox free Games with Gold program is dropping 360 games later this year. In fact, the last pair of Xbox 360 games released through the Xbox free Games with Gold program will be the September 2022 offerings, as there will be no 360 games released in October.

Presumably, this means that Xbox Live Gold subscribers can only expect two free games every month from October onward, which will likely make the program even less popular. The Xbox free Games with Gold program has been routinely criticized in recent years, as Microsoft has quit really trying to make it worthwhile, instead focusing its efforts on bolstering its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Reports from reputable sources have suggested that Xbox Live Gold is going away at some point, with Microsoft hoping to focus exclusively on Game Pass. The removal of Xbox 360 games from the free Games with Gold lineup seems like a big step in that direction, though Microsoft still has yet to announce plans to officially end Xbox Live Gold.

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