Microsoft has confirmed the first batch of games hitting Xbox Game Pass this September, and while the list is seven titles deep, the mix of a day-one competitive platformer, a beloved Call of Duty entry, and a survival co-op game makes it a solid start to the month.
The day-one release competitive players should know about
Speedrunners 2: King of Speed lands on September 3 as a day-one Game Pass release, available on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. The original Speedrunners built a loyal following around its chaotic race-to-the-finish formula, and this sequel pushes the concept further with online support for up to 8 players simultaneously. You'll need to outrun, outmaneuver, and outlast rivals across punishing levels that reward memorization as much as reflexes.
That's the key here: day-one Game Pass releases for competitive multiplayer games tend to spike player counts fast, which means the lobbies at launch should be lively.
What else lands in the first half of September
Kicking things off on September 1 is Shelldiver, an incremental game centered on a turtle fishing for jellyfish and running a small store. It's a low-key opener, but incremental games have a dedicated audience and Shelldiver's charm is hard to ignore.
September 4 brings Dice a Million to Game Pass Premium subscribers, a roguelike deck-builder that was already available on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Premium players can now access it through Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC.
The bigger headline arrives on September 8, when Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War joins the library across Cloud, Console, and PC for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass. The 2020 shooter holds up well, particularly its campaign, which follows a tight Cold War-era narrative built around tracking down a Soviet agent threatening global destabilization. Here's the thing: while new Call of Duty titles won't be hitting Game Pass on day-one, having a full mainline entry in the catalog is still a meaningful addition for subscribers who missed it.
September 10 doubles up with two very different games. The Royal Writ is a medieval roguelike deck-builder arriving on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC. On the same day, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage brings Sega's classic fighting franchise to Game Pass, available on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Virtua Fighter's technical, grounded combat style sits apart from most modern fighters, and R.E.V.O. is a polished version of one of the series' strongest entries.
Full September wave 1 schedule
| Date | Game | Platforms | Tiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 1 | Shelldiver | Cloud, Console, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass |
| Sept 3 | Speedrunners 2: King of Speed | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Ultimate, PC Game Pass |
| Sept 4 | Dice a Million | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC | Premium (also Ultimate, PC Game Pass) |
| Sept 8 | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | Cloud, Console, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass |
| Sept 10 | The Royal Writ | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass |
| Sept 10 | Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass |
| Sept 15 | RuneScape: Dragonwilds | Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Ultimate, Premium, PC Game Pass |
Closing out the wave with RuneScape
RuneScape: Dragonwilds wraps up the first half of September on the 15th. This co-operative survival adventure carries the RuneScape name into a new format, letting players explore and build together rather than following the traditional MMO structure. It's available on Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC across all three main Game Pass tiers.
If you play Forza Horizon 6 alongside your Game Pass subscription, you'll want to check out the Forza Horizon 6 Car Pass guide to track all confirmed vehicles and release dates, and the Premium Edition bonus content guide to make sure you're claiming everything you're entitled to.
Microsoft typically announces a second wave of Game Pass additions mid-month, so more September titles are still to come. For everything else dropping across Xbox and PC, the gaming guides hub has you covered as the month unfolds.
