Xbox has confirmed the September 2026 Wave 2 lineup for Game Pass. Thirteen new games join the service this wave, and four of them arrive as day-one releases. The biggest addition is Gears of War: E-Day, which lands on October 6 as one of the year’s most anticipated Xbox exclusives.
Minecraft Dungeons II follows close behind on September 29, also as a day-one title. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 joins on September 25, and Dune: Awakening finally makes its console debut on September 22. On the other side, eight games leave Game Pass on September 30, including Sifu and Atomfall.
Here is the full list of what is coming and going, according to Xbox’s official Wave 2 announcement.
Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass in September 2026 Wave 2
September 16
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- Planet of Lana II (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- Routine (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- Ultimate Sheep Raccoon (Cloud, Console, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
September 17
- Kernel Hearts (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Day One)
- Ninja Gaiden 4 (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
September 22
- Dune: Awakening (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- Well Dweller (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Day One)
September 23
- Mad King Redemption (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
September 25
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
September 29
- Minecraft Dungeons II (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Day One)
October 2
- Keeper (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
October 6
- Gears of War: E-Day (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC): Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Day One)
The Headliners, Explained
Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel set 14 years before the original Gears of War. It follows a young Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago on the day the Locust Horde first breaks through to the surface. The Coalition and People Can Fly built the game in Unreal Engine 5, with a campaign that runs around 14 hours and supports co-op for up to four players plus split-screen. A new 12-player mode called Horde Siege is also included. Premium members get five days of early access starting October 1. The game is exclusive to Xbox Series consoles and PC, with no PlayStation 5 release planned.
Minecraft Dungeons II sends up to four players into a new dimension called the Sift, with a four-piece armor system, talismans, and a redesigned inventory. Players who want the full rundown on platforms and specs can check our breakdown of Minecraft Dungeons II before it launches.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 returns to Game Pass after its original day-one launch in 2024. Treyarch and Raven Software built the game around Omni-movement, a system that lets players sprint, dive, and mantle in any direction. It is now joining Game Pass Premium in addition to Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Dune: Awakening makes its console debut after launching on PC in June 2025. The open-world survival game is set on Arrakis and centers on water management, sandworm survival, spice harvesting, and base-building. The console version adds a full single-player mode and controls built for gamepads. New players can lean on our existing Dune Awakening guides to get oriented before jumping in.
Ninja Gaiden 4 is joining Game Pass Premium on top of its existing Ultimate and PC Game Pass availability. Co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, it introduces a new lead character named Yakumo alongside series veteran Ryu Hayabusa. Combat drew strong praise at launch, though reviewers were more mixed on the story.
Keeper, from Double Fine Productions, is a wordless adventure about a walking lighthouse and its bird companion. It joins Game Pass Premium on October 2, adding to its current Ultimate and PC Game Pass availability.
Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass on September 30
Eight titles leave the service at the end of the month:
- Atomfall
- Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
- Little Nightmares II Enhanced Edition
- Little Rocket Lab
- Sifu
- SOPA: Tale of the Stolen Potato
- Sworn
- Terminull Brigade
Sifu is the biggest loss. Sloclap’s kung-fu brawler holds a 92 percent positive rating on Steam and is known for its aging mechanic, where every death costs the player years off their character’s life. Anyone mid-run should plan to finish before the cutoff. Little Nightmares II Enhanced Edition and Atomfall are also worth wrapping up, since neither has been confirmed to return to the service later.
Game Pass Essential Gets a New Game
Rematch joins Game Pass Essential, the service’s lowest tier, on September 25. That gives Essential subscribers access to a title that previously sat behind a higher-priced plan. Xbox has made several changes to Game Pass pricing and tiers through 2026, including an earlier cut to Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscription costs.
What This Means for Subscribers
Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers get the most out of Wave 2, since nearly every title lands there first. Game Pass Premium also picks up ground this month, adding Ninja Gaiden 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Keeper to a tier that used to trail behind Ultimate. Anyone unsure which plan fits their setup can compare the current Xbox Game Pass tiers before deciding whether to upgrade.
Wave 2 closes with two of the year’s biggest console exclusives arriving back to back in early October. Gears of War: E-Day and Minecraft Dungeons II give subscribers a solid reason to stay active on the service through the rest of the fall.
