By Paula Beaton We’re already halfway through September and there are some massive upcoming Xbox and Game Pass games landing next week, from remasters of retro sci-fi classics to one new game that I absolutely can’t wait to play!
To make sure you don’t miss anything, we’ve rounded up 14 games that are landing next week on Xbox and Game Pass. Which will you play first?
Samson is a new release that I’m quite excited for — mostly to see how it transitions over to consoles, but also because the gameplay trailer looked loads of fun. Since the game’s PC launch in Spring, Liquid Swords, a new studio from the team behind Just Cause, have had five months to iron out any issues with the game and add a bunch of new features like difficulty modes.
This single-player, third-person action brawler takes place in a gritty 90s city and you play as getaway driver Samson McCray, returning home after a failed heist. You get limited daily actions points to spend completing jobs in a bid to clear your debts — but miss a payment and the debt collectors come knocking. Samson looks like a pretty short game so it’s on my list to play for September when it lands on Monday.
Coming day one to Game Pass on September 22nd, Dune Awakening marks a massive shift for the franchise as the first proper open-world experience set in the Dune universe. It’s more than just a PC port – it’s a deeply engaging single-player experience with sandbox combat.
You play as The Sleeper, a survivor stranded on Arrakis in an alternate timeline where Paul Atreides was bever born. That means House Atreides and House Harkonnen are at war, and you must rise to greatness through base building, crafting and combat.
You can easily spend over 100 hours in the game completing the main story and side quests, so set aside plenty of time if you plan to play this when it drops!
I love a good sci-fi game and am not averse to a puzzle or two, so Rivage, a first-person adventure coming to Xbox on September 22nd, is one I’ll be playing.
In Exnilo Studio’s debut title, you play as crew member and doctor Miranda, who wakes up on the A.R.E.S. space station — which is trapped in a time loop — to find her fellow crew members missing. Through increasingly complex logic puzzles, crew logs and personal emails, you’ll slowly unravel the emotional stories of each member of the five-person team to piece together what happened to them.
Rivage also promises a deeply immersive environment where you can interact with almost everything you see.
Well Dweller, the wonderfully creepy dark fairy-tale metroidvania from Kyle Thompson and Top Hat Studios, the folks behind Crypt Custodian, lands on Xbox as a day one release on September 22nd, so watch out for our full review here on the website.
You play as Glimmer, a tiny bird armed with a matchstick that doubles as a primary weapon, a torch in dark corridors and a tool to smash through walls. Your mission? Burn the wicked queen and save your family. Along the way you’ll tackle some tricky puzzles, battle some terrifying bosses and meet a cast of charming characters.
I can’t think of a better way to spend spooky season than playing Graveyard Keeper 2, where you build and manage your own graveyard. Coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC on Tuesday, it packs all the unhinged, darkly humorous management elements of the original game but focuses more on action this time around.
Though you’ll still spend plenty of time tending to graves and farming, you’ll also be raising your own undead army — and get them to do your dirty work while leading them into battle!
One of the great indie upcoming Xbox and Game Pass Games landing day one on Game Pass next week, Mad King Redemption blends a traditional beat ’em up with strong roguelite progression and classic arcade visuals. Early impressions are drawing heavy comparisons to arcade classics like Golden Axe, so I’ll definitely be checking this one out when it lands.
Bringing serious retro vibes, Mad King Redemption‘s setup is delightfully absurd: the Mad King has lost his mind after using forbidden magic to try and resurrect the queen. You’ll choose from four playable characters, each with their own unique combat styles, deep stat customization and randomized runs to keep everything feeling fresh.
If you’ve never played the original Lawn Mowing Simulator, it’s easy to wonder just how much fun maintaining your garden can actually be. It turns out, quite a lot! This is a solid choice for a relaxing game after a busy week, in much the same way PowerWash Simulator is great for unwinding.
As you’d expect, the game is all about professional lawn care, expanding significantly on the original game with a brand-new USA setting, fresh contracts, and fully licensed gear from top-name brands like STIGA and Kubota. That means new string trimmers and mowers, and fan-requested leaf blowers. Career Mode has been overhauled with a new HQ, too.
One of the standout upcoming Xbox and Game Pass games for next week — and easily one of the biggest Xbox releases of the month, if not the year — is Control Resonant. It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven years since the first game, when we stepped into the Oldest House as the Federal Bureau of Control’s Director, Jessie Faden. In the sequel, you play as her brother, Dylan, who she was hunting for in the original game.
This time around the gameplay’s set in a corrupted Manhattan where reality is bending and tearing, with a focus on fast-paced action over slow exploration. Alongside telekinesis, Dylan wields the Aberrant, a shape-shifting weapon which switches seamlessly between a hammer, scythe, and sword. Combat looks amazing and I can’t wait to play the game when it lands!
Watch out for our full review coming over on YouTube soon.
Sin: Reloaded brings a full remaster of the classic 90s shooter to Xbox next week. You play as security consultant Colonel John R. Blade, tasked with taking down the evil Doctor Elexis Sinclaire before her mutant army takes over the city — standard 90s action hero stuff, really!
But where this remaster excels is how Nightdive Studios has handled it. The game has been rebuilt from the ground up in the KEX engine, bringing smooth frame rates, overhauled controls and updated graphics while maintaining the original’s legendary environmental interactivity. You get the Wages of SiN expansion included too.
Whether you played the 1998 original or just love retro shooters, you can dive into this game next Thursday.
As a huge horror film fan but somebody who’s normally too scared to play horror games, I might make an exception for Alien Breed 35th Anniversary. Firstly, it’s sci-fi horror, and secondly, who doesn’t love the iconic Amiga franchise? Gunning through hordes of alien monsters while soaking up retro 90s nostalgia sounds like a great time. Plus, how scary can a 16-bit game actually be? Anyone who’s ever played the original knows the answer is pretty terrifying, honestly.
With upgraded game modes, local and online co-op and a brand-new Horde Mode, I’m looking forward to some serious firepower when Alien Breed 35th Anniversary bursts onto Xbox on September 24th.
Next on our list of upcoming Xbox and Game Pass games for next week is EA SPORTS FC 27, and it’s bringing some massive updates across the entire board. Player feedback from the PC closed beta has already led to big improvements to mechanics like shoulder challenges and the Bruiser playstyle, so it’ll be interesting to see how all that polish feels on console.
There’s plenty to sink your teeth into this year — from The Grounds, a new social playground for everything from 1v1s to Clubs, to a totally rebuilt Transfer Market in Manager Career with dynamic player values and smarter active bidding. On top of that, Ultimate Team is introducing the brand-new FUT Gallery so you can showcase your favorite player items and level up your club’s identity.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play subscribers get a 10-hour trial to test the game out before buying. The free trial launches today, Friday September 18th, and your progress should carry across if you decide to buy the full game.
Check out our guide on how to download the trial and play early on Xbox ahead of the game’s release next Friday.
If dark, challenging action RPGS are your bag, The Relic: First Guardian should definitely be on your wishlist. Developed over six years by a small team at Project Cloud Games, it blends dark fantasy with rich Korean folkore, set in the apocalyptic wasteland of Arsilthus.
It’s the combat loop that ensures the game really stands out, though. Unlike most Soulslikes, where basic attacks drain your stamina, The Relic lets you unleash relentless, zero-cost attack combos — reserving your stamina strictly for high-stakes dodging and blocking.
Combined with five distinct weapon types and a massive roster of up to 80 lore-heavy boss encounters, the build freedom here looks incredible. Instead of traditional stat levelling, your power comes entirely from collecting ancient relics and swapping out game-changing passives on the fly.
Early reviews are already drawing comparisons to The Witcher and Dark Souls, and considering the unique Korean mythology inspiring its dark atmosphere, this is shaping up to be a sleeper hit. Keep an eye out for this one when it lands on Friday!
Making its way on to Game Pass Premium on Friday is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which has been available on Ultimate and PC Game Pass since launch.
You’re getting the full package here — a mind-bending narrative, single-player campaign, top-tier multiplayer, and of course, the fan-favorite return of Round-Based Zombies. If you haven’t played it yet, it’s time to check it out.
I’m getting a bit ahead of myself here, as this final game doesn’t actually launch until October 2nd, but I have some opinions to share on it!
If you’re a fan of early 2000s teen comedies, you know exactly the type of raunchy humor Agefield High: Rock The School is serving up. Sadly, a funny concept doesn’t always translate into a great game.
After a bug-ridden PC launch that left its Steam reviews sitting at “Mostly Negative,” I’d proceed with extreme caution when this lands on console. I played it briefly on Steam myself and refunded it almost immediately — something I rarely do. Weak combat, janky character animations and clunky quest design don’t do it any favors and it falls far short of the Bully comparisons its chasing.
Unless the devs have pulled off a total miracle for its Xbox release on October 2nd, I’d safely give this one a miss.
So there you have it, a great roundup of upcoming Xbox and Game Pass games for next week! In case you need any more inspiration for what to play, we’ve also selected the best games to play on Xbox for September, or you can check out confirmed games coming to Xbox in October.
Olivia Davies