Game Pass Ultimate Gets Off To A Slow Start In September 2026

Xbox has revealed the first batch of new games for September 2026, and it’s a bit thin. On top of there being only one new game exclusive to the Game Pass Ultimate tier in the last weeks of summer, heavy hitters like Cyberpunk 2077 are leaving halfway through the month.

The Game Pass headliner for the first half of September is Speedrunners 2: King of Speed, a multiplayer 2D platforming racer that’s a sequel to a 2016 game that remains highly reviewed on Steam. That’s definitely neat, but it’s also the only upcoming addition that won’t also be coming to the cheaper Game Pass Premium tier, suggesting that Ultimate subscribers aren’t necessarily getting their money’s worth at the moment.

Here’s everything joining Xbox Game Pass in wave 1 for September 2026:

• Shelldiver (Cloud, Console, and PC) – September 1
  Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• Speedrunners 2: King of Speed (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – September 3
  Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Dice a Million (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – September 4
  Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass
• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (Cloud, Console, and PC) – September 8
  Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• The Royal Writ (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – September 10
  Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage(Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – September 10
  Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• RuneScape: Dragonwilds(Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – September 15
  Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage are other notable additions, but both are quite old. Elsewhere, Xbox notes that TCG Card Shop Simulator, which is already on the service, is getting its 1.0 release on September 15, while EA Sports NHL 27 will get an early access trial starting September 4. Plus, people lining up to playAniimo, the new Pokémon-like RPG with questionable AI use, will get a free reward pack to kick off their journeys.

Unfortunately, Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t the only big game leaving on September 15. Dead Cells, Deep Rock Galactic Survivor, Frostpunk 2, Mullet Madjack, and Spiritfarer are all out the door too. Subscribers can’t complain too much—August was an exceptional month for the service—but hopefully the second half of September picks up for Game Pass Ultimate. It would be a shame if the next month ended up feeling like filler before Gears of War: E-Day stomps onto the scene in October.

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