August Xbox Game Pass Wave 1 Titles Announced: Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Rain World, Aliens: Fireteam Elite and More

OpenAI has officially returned to the open-source ecosystem with the release of two advanced Artificial Intelligence models: gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b. This marks the San Francisco-based AI company’s first major open-weight release since GPT-2 was open-sourced in 2019.

According to the company, both models deliver performance levels comparable to its proprietary o3 and o3-mini systems. Built using a mixture-of-experts (MoE) architecture, the models are designed for efficiency, reasoning transparency, and compatibility with agentic workflows. OpenAI has also emphasized that these models have undergone rigorous safety training and evaluation before public release.

The open weights are now available for download via OpenAI’s official listing on Hugging Face, enabling researchers and developers to run the models locally.

Native Reasoning and Chain-of-Thought Transparency

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI CEO Sam Altman highlighted the capability of the larger model, stating that “gpt-oss-120b performs about as well as o3 on challenging health issues.”

One of the defining features of the gpt-oss models is their support for transparent chain-of-thought (CoT) reasoning. Unlike many earlier systems where reasoning steps were hidden, these models allow for adjustable reasoning depth — enabling users to optimize for either low-latency outputs or higher-quality, detailed responses.

OpenAI states that both models are compatible with its Responses API and can be integrated into agentic workflows. They natively support tool utilization, including:

• Web search
• Python code execution
• Structured tool calling

This makes them suitable for real-world automation, coding environments, research assistance, and AI agent development.

Architecture and Technical Specifications

The two models are built on a mixture-of-experts (MoE) framework, which activates only a subset of parameters per token to improve computational efficiency.

• gpt-oss-120b: 117 billion total parameters, activates 5.1 billion parameters per token
• gpt-oss-20b: 21 billion total parameters, activates 3.6 billion parameters per token
• Context length: 128,000 tokens for both models

The MoE design allows these large-scale models to balance high performance with manageable inference costs, making them more accessible for local and enterprise deployment.

Training Data and Reinforcement Learning Fine-Tuning

OpenAI confirmed that the majority of the training datasets used for these models consist of English-language text. The company focused heavily on domains such as:

• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
• Coding and software development
• General knowledge and problem solving

During post-training, OpenAI applied reinforcement learning (RL)-based fine-tuning to enhance reasoning quality, reliability, and alignment with intended usage guidelines.

Benchmark Performance Compared to o3 and o3-Mini

Based on OpenAI’s internal benchmark testing, gpt-oss-120b demonstrates strong competitive performance:

• Outperforms o3-mini in competition coding (Codeforces)
• Exceeds o3-mini in general problem solving benchmarks such as MMLU and Humanity’s Last Exam
• Shows strong performance in tool-calling evaluations like TauBench

However, OpenAI acknowledges that the open-source models slightly trail behind o3 and o3-mini on certain advanced reasoning benchmarks, including GPQA Diamond.

Safety Measures and Risk Mitigation

OpenAI states that extensive safety protocols were implemented throughout development. During pre-training, the company filtered out harmful information related to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards.

Additionally, the models were trained to resist prompt injection attacks and to reject harmful or malicious instructions. According to OpenAI, even though the models are released with open weights, they have been engineered to minimize the risk of being easily modified for harmful outputs.

The company asserts that safety alignment remains intact despite the open-source nature of the release.

A Strategic Return to Open Source

The release of gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b signals OpenAI’s renewed engagement with the open research community. By combining transparent reasoning, tool integration, and efficient MoE scaling, the company appears to be positioning these models as robust alternatives for researchers, startups, and enterprises seeking high-performance AI without relying solely on proprietary APIs.

As the AI landscape grows increasingly competitive, OpenAI’s open-weight strategy may reshape how developers balance transparency, safety, and cutting-edge performance in next-generation AI systems.

Microsoft has officially confirmed the August Wave 1 lineup for Xbox Game Pass, bringing a strong mix of action-adventure, survival, strategy, and sci-fi RPG experiences to subscribers. Leading the list is Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the 2023 prequel spin-off to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which will be available starting August 7 on PC, Xbox consoles, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

The announcement was made via Xbox Wire, where Microsoft detailed the first half of August additions. Alongside Mirage, subscribers can look forward to Rain World, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, and several other titles. As part of the monthly refresh, Game Pass members will also receive DLC perks, new seasonal updates, and early access trials.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage Headlines August Game Pass Lineup

Originally released in 2023 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms, Assassin’s Creed Mirage marked a return to the franchise’s stealth-focused roots. Developed as a more compact and narrative-driven experience, the game explores the early life of Basim, a key character introduced in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Set in 9th-century Baghdad, Mirage embraces the classic Assassin’s Creed formula — parkour traversal, stealth assassinations, and a tightly structured storyline within a dense open-world setting. Unlike the sprawling RPG mechanics of recent entries, Mirage delivers a more focused experience reminiscent of earlier titles in the series.

From August 7, subscribers to PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate will be able to play Assassin’s Creed Mirage on PC, Xbox Series S/X, and cloud-enabled devices.

Rain World Now Available for Subscribers

Rain World joined the Game Pass catalog on August 5. The indie survival-platformer places players in control of a cat-like creature known as a “slugcat,” navigating a hostile, post-apocalyptic ecosystem filled with predators and environmental dangers.

Known for its dynamic AI-driven wildlife and challenging survival mechanics, Rain World has built a dedicated fan base since its original release. It is now accessible to members of Game Pass Standard, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Ultimate.

Four New Titles Arrive on August 6

On August 6, four additional games joined the Game Pass lineup for Xbox Series S/X users under the Standard tier:

• MechWarrior 5: Clans
• Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders
• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
• Orcs Must Die! Death Trap

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector expands on the critically acclaimed sci-fi RPG formula of its predecessor, offering narrative-driven gameplay set in a futuristic space environment. Meanwhile, MechWarrior 5: Clans delivers mech-based tactical combat, and Orcs Must Die! Death Trap adds strategic defense mechanics to the lineup.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite Launches August 12

Aliens: Fireteam Elite will be available on Game Pass starting August 12. The cooperative third-person shooter is set in the iconic Alien universe, where players assume the role of elite marines tasked with containing deadly Xenomorph threats.

The game’s arrival coincides with the premiere of the Alien: Earth television series on Hulu (streaming via JioHotstar in India), creating synergy between gaming and entertainment audiences.

9 Kings PC Preview Arrives August 14

On August 14, Game Pass subscribers on PC will gain preview access to 9 Kings, a strategy title that entered early access in May. The game will be available to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members, offering players an opportunity to explore its evolving gameplay systems before full release.

Additional Perks and Upcoming Content

Beyond new game additions, Microsoft confirmed that subscribers will receive enhanced content updates, including:

• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced update
• Sea of Thieves: Season 17 content rollout
• Early access trial for EA Sports Madden NFL 26

These benefits further strengthen Game Pass’s value proposition, particularly for Ultimate-tier subscribers.

Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass in August

As new titles enter the catalog, some games will exit the service. Microsoft confirmed that the following titles will be removed on August 15:

• Persona 3 Reload
• Farming Simulator 22
• Anthem

Subscribers who wish to continue playing these games after their removal can purchase them at a discounted rate before they leave the library.

A Strong Start to August for Game Pass

The August Wave 1 announcement reinforces Microsoft’s strategy of blending blockbuster franchises, indie gems, and genre diversity within Xbox Game Pass. With Assassin’s Creed Mirage leading the charge and a steady flow of additions across console, PC, and cloud platforms, subscribers have a wide range of experiences to explore in the first half of the month.

As Microsoft continues to expand its subscription ecosystem, the early August lineup demonstrates its commitment to delivering both high-profile titles and niche favorites to a global gaming audience.