Highlights
- Xbox Game Pass subscribers can try out Call of the Wild: The Angler starting on August 30, despite not being mentioned in the recent announcement.
- The second half of August 2023 Xbox Game Pass games include Firewatch, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Sea of Stars.
- September 2023 will bring exciting additions to Xbox Game Pass, including Starfield, Lies of P, Party Animals, and Payday 3, making it one of the biggest months in the history of the subscription service.
Xbox Game Pass subscribers can check out Call of the Wild: The Angler through their subscription starting on August 30. A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft highlighted the new games coming to Xbox Game Pass in the second half of August 2023, though Call of the Wild: The Angler was not part of the announcement.
The new Xbox Game Pass games for the second half of August 2023 announcement focused on three games in particular, with a nod to one of September 2023's offerings as well. The games in question were indie hit Firewatch, asymmetrical multiplayer horror game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the critically-acclaimed day one indie RPG Sea of Stars, and Gris, an award-winning indie that's joining the lineup on September 5.
Microsoft made no mention of Call of the Wild: The Angler when it announced the new Xbox Game Pass games coming in the second half of August 2023. It's possible that the game's release date wasn't nailed down in time, but that's just speculation. In any case, Call of the Wild: The Angler will be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers beginning Wednesday, August 30. A PlayStation version will also be available, though it will not be part of PS Plus and will need to be purchased.
For those unfamiliar with the game, Call of the Wild: The Angler is a fishing game from Expansive Worlds. It first released on PC last year, and at the time, it earned a somewhat mixed reception from fans. However, more recent impressions of Call of the Wild: The Angler have been positive, with the game now enjoying a "Mostly Positive" rating on Steam when taking into account its recent user reviews as opposed to its overall reviews.
Barring any other surprise game announcements, Call of the Wild: The Angler should be the last new Xbox Game Pass addition for August 2023. However, there's plenty for Xbox Game Pass subscribers to look forward to in September 2023, with next month set to be one of the biggest in the history of the subscription service. September 2023 will see the addition of the long-awaited sci-fi RPG Starfield, the Bloodborne-inspired Lies of P, the party game Party Animals, co-op shooter Payday 3, and more. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have to wait until September rolls around to learn about all the new games coming to the platform next month, but as Call of the Wild: The Angler proves, there's always the chance for surprise Game Pass additions as well.