Xbox Game Pass: Gears of War: E-Day and Minecraft Dungeons II Lead New Wave

Microsoft has announced the next batch of additions to its Xbox Game Pass lineup, detailing a dense schedule of arrivals stretching into early October. Xbox Senior Community Lead Megan Spurr outlined the rollout in an official blog post on Tuesday, signaling a busy period for subscribers who are also navigating Microsoft's shifting subscription tiers.

Keeping track of who gets what—and on which tier—has quietly become a game of its own. The headliner for Microsoft’s first-party studios is the prequel campaign Gears of War: E-Day, which launches day-one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 6.

For those tracking Xbox's upcoming releases, the immediate rollout begins today, September 15, with RuneScape: Dragonwilds arriving on Ultimate and PC Game Pass. On September 16, first-person sci-fi horror Routine and platformer Planet of Lana II will expand to Game Pass Premium, having already been available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Marvel Cosmic Invasion is joining Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate and PC tiers) and Game Pass Premium on September 16, 2026. Ultimate Sheep Raccoon joined Xbox Game Pass on December 9, 2025; it will expand to Game Pass Premium on September 16, 2026.

On September 17, the legendary hack-and-slash sequel Ninja Gaiden 4 expands to Game Pass Premium, alongside the day-one launch of roguelike action-RPG Kernel Hearts on Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Ninja Gaiden 4 is joining Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate and PC tiers) and Game Pass Premium on September 17, 2026. Funcom's survival RPG Dune: Awakening arrives next on September 22 for Ultimate, Premium, and PC tiers, accompanied by day-one metroidvania Well Dweller on Ultimate and PC.

The month closes out with 2.5D beat-'em-up Mad King Redemption on September 23 (Ultimate, Premium, PC), soccer game Rematch joining Game Pass Essential on September 25, and the day-one launch of Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29 for Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Looking slightly further out, Keeper will expand to Game Pass Premium on October 2. Keeper is joining Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, and receiving tier updates for Game Pass Premium on October 2, 2026.

The details

• First-party day-one: Gears of War: E-Day launches October 6 (Ultimate, PC Game Pass)
• Major Day One launches: Kernel Hearts (Sept 17), Well Dweller (Sept 22), Minecraft Dungeons II (Sept 29)
• Departures: Sifu, Atomfall, and six other games leave the catalog on September 30

What is leaving

As is tradition, the arrival of new titles means the back door must swing open to usher others out. Xbox confirmed that eight games will leave the Game Pass library on September 30, though members can purchase them at a discount before they depart.

The departing lineup includes Atomfall, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Little Nightmares 2 Enhanced Edition, Little Rocket Lab, Sifu, SOPA Tale of the Stolen Potato, Sworn, and Terminull Brigade.

Why it matters

Subscription catalogs live and die by constant rotation, and Microsoft is pulling from both established franchise nostalgia and fresh indie partnerships to maintain the service's momentum. By spreading these games across increasingly segmented tiers, Xbox is testing how much platform complexity its audience is willing to parse in exchange for a steady stream of downloads.