It’s 2026, and the concept of “free” games with a subscription has shifted so dramatically that looking back at an old Games with Gold wishlist feels like opening a time capsule filled with glorious naivety and a faint whiff of disappointment. Back in mid-2021, Microsoft’s faithful subscribers were still holding out hope that July would bring a truly stellar lineup, something to wash away the sting of months of lackluster offerings while Xbox Game Pass gobbled up all the attention. Spoiler: it didn’t happen. But what if that fantasy lineup had actually materialized? And, more importantly, how do those dream games look through the jaded, futuristic eyes of 2026? Let’s take a hike down memory lane—but with a modern compass pointing directly at reality.
First on the wishlist was Hollow Knight, that darling of the Metroidvania genre everyone swore they’d finally finish. In 2021, the hope was that giving it away for free would prime the pump for the long-awaited sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong. Fast forward to 2026, and Silksong still exists primarily as a meme, a spectral presence at every gaming showcase that leaves fans weeping into their collectible Hornet plushies. Team Cherry turned radio silence into an olympic sport. The original game remains a masterpiece, but plugging it into Games with Gold now would feel like handing someone a beautifully wrapped empty box—gorgeous, but everyone already owns three copies. The cruel twist? In 2024, Hollow Knight actually did land on Game Pass Core’s curated catalog, technically fulfilling the wish in the most monkey’s-paw fashion possible. No download code to keep forever, just a rental. That’s 2020s generosity for you.
Then there was the dream of receiving Forza Horizon 4, the perpetually sunny British racing fantasy that always looked suspiciously like a holiday commercial for itself. Anticipating it on Games with Gold in 2021 was bold, considering Microsoft had just hyped Forza Horizon 5 as the “largest” game in the series—the marketing equivalent of shouting “look at this shiny new thing while we pretend to consider giving you the old one.” By 2026, Horizon 4 has been delisted due to expiring car licenses, the same fate that devours all older Forzas. It had a glorious run, and anyone who missed out can now only experience it via secondhand discs or tears. Including it in a 2021 July lineup would have been a spectacular parting gift before the licensing guillotine fell, but Microsoft chose to keep those keys safely in the vault. Today, the memory of that wish is just another reminder that racing games age like milk in a legal department.
Ah, Fable 3. The black sheep of Albion that some fans defend with the ferocity of a Balverine. In 2021, the logic was sound: a new Fable reboot had been teased, and handing out the 2010 sequel for free would placate fans starved for news. That reboot, by the way, still hasn’t released in 2026. Playground Games’ Fable is now the stuff of legend, glimpsed in carefully orchestrated trailers that show more vegetable physics than actual gameplay. The free Fable 3 dream represented a simpler time, when players thought a free old game could compensate for the void of information. These days, the most anyone can get out of Fable 3 without an existing save is a Game Pass Core subscription—again, the rent-never-own model. The humor and personality of that title hold up reasonably well, but the only monarch being overthrown now is the consumer’s perception of ownership.
Last on the wishlist was Bastion, Supergiant Games’ gorgeous breakout hit that first proved a narrator could make you emotional about a hammer. In 2021, adding Bastion to Games with Gold felt like a classy move, a nod to indie excellence before Hades took over the world. Jump to 2026, and Bastion has been bundled, discounted, and given away on so many platforms that finding a player who hasn’t heard its soundtrack is harder than locating a real Caelondia floating island. Supergiant has since launched Hades II into early access in 2024 and fully released it in early 2025 to rapturous acclaim. Sacrificing Bastion for free would have been a charming footnote, but it’s been rendered almost quaint by the studio’s explosive growth. Now, when someone says “Supergiant free game,” they’re usually confused about a Humble Bundle from 2023.
Looking back, the July 2021 Games with Gold wishlist was really a plea for relevance. The service limped along until September 2023, when it was unceremoniously euthanized and replaced by Xbox Game Pass Core—a library of about 25 games, rotated occasionally, but never offering the permanent ownership that defined the old program. It was the end of an era, one where gamers could grumble about receiving a random puzzle game and an ancient AAA title while secretly enjoying the ritual. In 2026, the gaming landscape is subscription-dominated, and the “free” games are just revolving doors. That old wishlist proves that sometimes, wanting something badly is more fun than actually getting it—especially when getting it means licensing issues, indefinite delays, and the gradual erosion of “yours to keep.” So raise a glass of virtual champagne to Hollow Knight, Forza Horizon 4, Fable 3, and Bastion. They never banded together for that glorious July. Instead, they float through time as a perfect, untainted dream of what could have been. 🥂