Xbox Live Gold's Final Free Games Are Now Available

Xbox Live Gold subscribers across Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X have two free games to download this August, both of which have been made available this week and will be available until the end of the month. The free games come courtesy of the Games With Gold program, which is ending alongside Xbox Live Gold next month. As a result, these are the final two free games Xbox Live Gold subscribers will ever receive because soon there will be no such thing as an Xbox Live Gold subscriber.

The first of the two games is Blue Fire from developer Robi Studios and publisher Graffiti Games. Debuting back in 2021, the game boasts a 70 on Metacritic, however, many general consumers who have played the game have insisted it's better than this fairly lackluster rating suggests. 

"Journey through the desolated kingdom of Penumbra and discover the hidden secrets of this long-forgotten land," reads an official blurb about Blue Fire. "Explore mystical temples, where you'll need to master the art of movement to survive increasingly difficult 3D platforming challenges. During your adventure you'll slash your way through daunting adversaries, encounter survivors and take on strange quests to collect valuable items."

The second free game is Inertial Drift, a game with a much more impressive 89 on Metacritic. And just like critics, gamers by and large have enjoyed their time with the unique racing game. Developed by Level 91 Entertainment and published by PQube, it debuted in 2020.

"Set in a 90's retro future, Inertial Drift is an Arcade Racer with a devastatingly unique handling model and unbelievably satisfying twin-stick drift mechanics," reads an official pitch for the racing game. "Inertial Drift offers a whole new level of accessibility and challenge to the arcade racing genre – for a driving experience genuinely unlike anything you've played before."

If you download these two games via your Xbox Live Gold subscription, you will save $40 as each normally runs at $20 a pop. Meanwhile, once downloaded, each game is yours to keep and play as much or as little as you want. The games remain accessible even after your subscription expires, which is going to happen to everyone very soon.