The second wave of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in September has been announced, and the list considerably improves what's already on offer, with a huge new arrival in Gears of War: E-Day, and notable arrivals in Dune Awakening, and Minecraft Dungeons 2.
Gears of War: E-Day needs little introduction because it's the big new Gears of War game - a prologue of sorts to the original Gears of War story, which follows Marcus Fenix and pals as they respond to the Locust invasion that later becomes known as Emergence Day, or E-Day for short. This is an important exclusive for Xbox, but will it be the banger it needs?
Dune Awakening's console debut has added interest because it brings a single-player mode to what was originally a multiplayer-first survival MMO on PC, when it launched there last summer. It's a game that's been shaking its massively multiplayer foundations since its release, in order to, presumably, appeal to more people, and with a third Dune movie arriving in December, it's a good time for it.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 we know less about. A sequel was something of a surprise when it was announced earlier in the year, and the question is how much it can build on the Diablo-like foundations of the original to fulfil the promise that Minecraft Dungeons 1 didn't - or at least not quite.
Those are the big games, but there are also some notable additions to Game Pass Premium in co-op brawler Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Planet of Lana 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and Keeper. There are some decent games there.
Notable departures on 30th September are martial arts aging roguelike Sifu, Rebellion's Fallout-adjacent Atomfall, and creepy co-op horror Little Nightmares 2.
Games coming to Xbox Game Pass Premium and Ultimate in the second-half of September:
- RuneScape: Dragonwilds (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, and PC) – 15th September, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, Handheld, and PC) – 16th September, coming to Game Pass Premium; already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
- Planet of Lana 2 (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, Handheld, and PC) – 16th September, coming to Game Pass Premium; already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
- Routine (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – 16th September, coming to Game Pass Premium; already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
- Ultimate Sheep Raccoon (Cloud, Console, and PC) – 16th September, coming to Game Pass Premium; already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
- Kernel Hearts (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, and PC) – 17th September, Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Ninja Gaiden 4 (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, Handheld, and PC) – 17th September, coming to Game Pass Premium; already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
- Dune: Awakening (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, Handheld, and PC) – 22nd September, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- Well Dweller (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – 22nd September, Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Mad King Redemption (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, Handheld, and PC) – 23rd September, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – 25th September, coming to Game Pass Premium; already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
- Minecraft Dungeons 2 (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – 29th September, Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- Keeper (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S, and PC) – 2nd October, coming to Game Pass Premium; already on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
- Gears of War: E-Day (Xbox Series X/S, Handheld, PC, and Cloud) – 6th October, Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on 30th September:
- Atomfall (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Little Nightmares 2 Enhanced Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Little Rocket Lab (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Sifu (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- SOPA Tale of the Stolen Potato (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Sworn (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Terminull Brigade (Cloud, Console, and PC)