Xbox Game Pass: Sea of Stars, This War of Mine & Borderlands 3 Leaving Soon

6 minutes Julian Haag

Heads up, Game Pass crew: three notable titles are on the way out soon, and you’ve got a short window to sample their best bits. Sea of Stars brings breezy three-player co-op to a modern retro RPG, This War of Mine: Final Cut delivers a gut-punch survival experience from a civilian perspective, and Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition is a loot tornado perfect for a weekend mayhem sprint. Here’s what to play, what to prioritize, and how to keep your progress if you fall in love.

Xbox Game Pass giveth and taketh away. New additions keep our backlogs thriving, but the mid-month and end-of-month rotations mean some great games slip off the carousel. If you only have time for a few play sessions, here’s how to make the most of each of these departing standouts.

What’s leaving and why it matters

  • Sea of Stars: A turn-based RPG with timing-based combat, puzzle-y dungeons, and optional three-player local co-op that makes it perfect for a couch session.
  • This War of Mine: Final Cut: A somber survival sim about civilians enduring a siege, where every decision has weight and resources are painfully scarce.
  • Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition: The maximalist loot-shooter experience with heaps of guns, goofy humor, and co-op chaos.

Sea of Stars: one more cozy adventure night Sea of Stars feels like a warm blanket stitched from classic RPG inspirations, but it’s more than a nostalgia trip. Battles reward timing and planning. You will want to learn your characters’ rhythms, land well-timed blocks, and mix skills to break enemy locks before big attacks. That mini dance of inputs keeps even routine fights engaging.

If you’re short on time:

  • Grab two friends and try the local co-op assist mode. Passing the controller for active inputs keeps everyone involved, even between exploration beats.
  • Focus on a single main path rather than chasing every optional nook. The game is generous about letting its tone, music, and set pieces shine without grind.
  • Sample the side activities like fishing and cooking for quick, satisfying breaks from combat. They are bite-sized, low-stress breezers that add flavor to the world.

Fast-start tip: Pay attention to gear effects and status synergies early. A couple of well-chosen accessories and a food buff can turn tricky encounters into stylish victories. And do not sleep on your timing windows; a blocked hit here or a perfectly placed skill there often matters more than raw stats.

This War of Mine: Final Cut: a powerful, human survival story This War of Mine is not about heroics on the battlefield. It is about cold nights, thin soup, and tough calls. Days are for crafting, tending wounds, and keeping spirits up. Nights are for scavenging, moving quietly, and deciding what your household truly needs.

If you are squeezing in a short run:

  • Pick a manageable approach. One reliable flow is to craft simple comforts early, then branch into tools that open more scavenging routes.
  • Specialize your survivors. Let the best scavenger handle night runs while others cook, build, or tend to morale.
  • Avoid unnecessary risks. Sneaking, listening, and retreating can be the difference between a lean week and a lost character.

Mindset tip: The game’s moral tension is the point. You will be pushed into uncomfortable choices. When in doubt, protect your people and pace your runs. You do not have to loot everything; you just have to make it through the next day.

Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition: a weekend of mayhem Borderlands 3 is a dopamine machine: guns with bonkers behaviors, skill trees that drastically shape playstyles, and arenas that beg to be cleared in co-op. The Ultimate Edition stacks in the big content drops and endgame levers, so you can sample the series’ trademark escalation quickly.

If you are chasing the highlights fast:

  • Pick a class that fits your vibe. Want turret uptime and explosions? Moze. Elemental brawling? Amara. Pet-forward crit shenanigans? FL4K. Slick gadgets and mobility? Zane.
  • Use co-op scaling to your advantage. Leveling with friends keeps the loot and enemies spicy without leaving anyone behind.
  • Try a few side quests with standout arenas early on; they often showcase the game’s best enemy mixes and gun synergies without long story commitments.

Loot loop tip: Lean into one or two damage types and stack skills that amplify them. Borderlands 3 shines when your build has a clear identity. If you loot something weird, give it a spin; often the oddballs become your new favorite toy.

How to triage your time

  • Decide your mood first. Want a chill, charming evening? Sea of Stars. Looking for reflective, high-stakes survival? This War of Mine. Craving loud, laugh-filled co-op? Borderlands 3.
  • Time-box your sessions. Two or three focused hours can show you the heart of each game.
  • Toggle accessibility and difficulty options. In all three, a nudge in settings can open the experience without dulling the fun.
  • Bring friends if you can. Sea of Stars’ co-op assist and Borderlands 3’s drop-in chaos play best on a couch or a party chat.

What happens when these games leave Game Pass

  • Your saves are safe. Game Pass does not delete progress. If you decide to buy later, your cloud or local saves should carry over.
  • Expect a member discount around departure. If a game clicks with you, grabbing it while it is still on the service often nets you a solid deal.
  • Preload your decision. If you plan to keep playing, check your platform’s store page before the rotation flips; once it is gone from the catalog, the discount window can close.

Final thoughts Rotations can sting, but they are also a great nudge to finally try that RPG your friends keep recommending, to experience a narrative that lingers long after the credits, or to spend a weekend laughing your way through waves of loot and bad jokes. Whether you are timing your blocks in Sea of Stars, rationing precious medicine in This War of Mine, or crit-chasing through Borderlands 3’s mayhem, there is still time to make a memory or two before the carousel spins again.

Which one are you prioritizing this week?