Xbox Game Pass Presses On with June 2026 Wave 2 Lineup Amid Studio Closure Rumors

Despite swirling rumors of potential studio closures and mass layoffs, Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox Game Pass June 2026 Wave 2 lineup. However, the company has yet to address reports that developers like Ninja Theory (Hellblade), Double Fine (Psychonauts), and Compulsion (South of Midnight) may be shut down.

As announced on Xbox Wire, titles joining Game Pass in the latter half of June include EA Sports FC 26 (timed with the ongoing World Cup), RV There Yet?, and Winds of Arcana: Ruination. Additionally, 2021’s Call of Duty: Vanguard is hitting the service this month. No day-one releases are scheduled for the rest of June, with Junkster launching today, June 16.

Game Pass soldiers on as new Xbox head Asha Sharma implements a “reset” of the gaming business, which appears to be causing significant casualties. Yesterday, The Game Business reported that Xbox Game Studios chief Craig Duncan had stepped down, followed by news of potential closures at several Microsoft studios. IGN has reached out to Microsoft for comment but has yet to receive a response. Double Fine, however, posted a single emoji on social media, hinting at its current mood.

According to Bloomberg, Compulsion, Ninja Theory, and Double Fine are not the only Microsoft studios negotiating with Xbox to avoid closure. Some may buy their way to independence, though that would likely involve layoffs.

Following Sharma’s “reset” warning, an analyst told IGN, “The studios most exposed are brilliant for prestige and rotten for the spreadsheet.” Microsoft is reportedly accelerating development on new Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Halo titles as it considers restructuring or spinning off its gaming division.

Sharma’s memo revealed that Microsoft’s gaming business has a 3% profit margin, down year-on-year. “Excluding Activision Blizzard King, over the past five years, we have spent over $20 billion on content, platform, and hardware subsidies, but annual revenue has declined by nearly half a billion. This cannot continue,” she said.

CEO Satya Nadella added, “There’s more monetization of Xbox games happening on YouTube than at Xbox. We need to innovate in hardware and games in an economically viable way. No one can accuse Microsoft of not investing for 25 years. Now we must turn this into a sustainable business.”

New Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball recently noted that Game Pass lost “millions of subscribers” after a 50% price hike in October 2025. One of Sharma’s first moves was a price cut.

This grim news marks a sharp reversal in Xbox brand sentiment, especially after Sharma had won over core fans with moves like making Gears of War: E-Day and Clockworld Revolution console exclusives. Layoffs are expected to take effect at the end of Microsoft’s fiscal year on June 30.

As usual, several games will leave Game Pass this month.