Xbox Game Pass September 2026 Wave 1 runs from September 1 through September 15, with seven catalog entries led by the day-one launch of SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on September 8, and RuneScape: Dragonwilds on September 15. Ten games leave the service on September 15.
September Wave 1 at a glance
- Catalog entries: seven games across the first half of September.
- Day-one release: SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed on September 3.
- Largest returning release: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on September 8.
- Final Wave 1 addition: RuneScape: Dragonwilds on September 15.
- Leaving soon: ten games leave Game Pass on September 15.
Full Xbox Game Pass September 2026 Wave 1 schedule
- September 1 — Shelldiver: Cloud, console, and PC for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
- September 3 — SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed: Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It launches into Game Pass on day one and supports online races for up to eight players as well as local play.
- September 4 — Dice a Million: Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, and PC for Premium, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass.
- September 8 — Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War: Cloud, console, and PC for Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
- September 10 — The Royal Writ: Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, and PC for Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
- September 10 — Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage: Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
- September 15 — RuneScape: Dragonwilds: Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass.
Which Game Pass tier includes the full Wave 1 lineup?
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass are named for all seven Wave 1 entries. Premium is named for six: Shelldiver, Dice a Million, Black Ops Cold War, The Royal Writ, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage, and RuneScape: Dragonwilds. SpeedRunners 2 is the exception; Xbox lists it for Ultimate and PC Game Pass, not Premium.
Tier eligibility does not make every version interchangeable. PC Game Pass covers the PC build, while console and cloud access still depend on the supported devices and features beside each game. SpeedRunners 2 is also the only game in this wave explicitly identified by Xbox as a day-one Game Pass launch; the announcement does not give that label to the other six entries.
Why some September items are not counted among the seven games
Xbox lists a game update, a timed EA Play trial, and an in-game benefit in the same announcement. They are useful additions, but they are not three extra full catalog releases. Keeping those categories separate prevents the September total from being inflated.
- TCG Card Shop Simulator 1.0 update — September 15: the existing game reaches version 1.0 on cloud, Xbox Series X|S, handheld, and PC.
- EA Sports NHL 27 trial — September 4: EA Play members receive a 10-hour console trial. This is not permanent access to the complete game.
- Aniimo monthly reward pack — September 16: an in-game benefit for eligible Game Pass members, not a catalog game.
What does “handheld” mean in the Game Pass list?
Xbox uses “handheld” in the announcement for games optimized for play on compatible handheld PCs. Dice a Million, The Royal Writ, and the TCG Card Shop Simulator 1.0 update carry that label. It does not mean those games are exclusive to a separate handheld subscription tier; their other supported devices and membership tiers are listed beside them.
Every game leaving Xbox Game Pass on September 15
Xbox confirms ten departures for September 15. The announcement gives the date but not a universal removal hour, so players with active saves should treat September 14 as the safer final full day rather than assume every game will remain available until local midnight.
- Commandos: Origins
- Cricket 24
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Dead Cells
- Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
- Frostpunk 2 — PC.
- Mullet Madjack
- Spiritfarer
- Superliminal
- Train Sim World 5
What should you play first?
For a short social session, SpeedRunners 2 is the clearest day-one pick because it is built around local and online races. Black Ops Cold War is the straightforward campaign and multiplayer option in the middle of the wave. RuneScape: Dragonwilds is the larger co-op survival commitment and arrives on the same day the leaving list turns over.
Players already deep into Cyberpunk 2077, Spiritfarer, or Frostpunk 2 should review those saves before starting something new. A game leaving Game Pass removes subscription access; it does not erase a local or cloud save, and buying the game later should let the same supported account continue from that save.
Will Xbox announce a September Wave 2?
Xbox calls this update “Wave 1,” which leaves room for another September announcement, but it had not published a Wave 2 lineup when this schedule went live. Any additional games, tier changes, or second-half departures should be added to this same page after Xbox confirms them rather than guessed from the label.
Find more current game coverage
Browse the Pixel Twelve Games hub for current release schedules, platform explainers, and practical guides. This page will keep the September Game Pass dates and leaving list together if Xbox expands the month.
