Xbox Game Pass is loading up September with Gears of War: E-Day, Dune: Awakening, Minecraft Dungeons II, and more

The next Game Pass wave is less "something to play" and more "when am I supposed to play all this?"

By Varun Mirchandani Published September 15, 2026

Xbox Game Pass is getting Gears of War E-Day, Dune Awakening, Minecraft Dungeons II and more — Xbox

If the Xbox Game Pass backlog wasn’t already terrifying enough, Microsoft has just added another batch of games to the pile. The latest wave stretches from September 16 through October 6, with big names including Dune: Awakening, Ninja Gaiden 4, Minecraft Dungeons II, and Gears of War: E-Day.

Dune and Ninja Gaiden are warming up the Game Pass party

Things kick off on September 16 with Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Planet of Lana II, Routine and Ultimate Sheep Raccoon. The following day brings Kernel Hearts and Ninja Gaiden 4, giving subscribers everything from roguelike action to some good old-fashioned ninja violence.

Then comes Dune: Awakening on September 22. Funcom’s open-world survival game is making its Xbox debut as part of Game Pass, bringing its version of Arrakis to Xbox Series X|S, PC, cloud, and supported handhelds. Well Dweller, a dark-fantasy Metroidvania, also arrives that day. Mad King Redemption follows on September 23, while Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 joins the Premium tier on September 25, alongside Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Minecraft and Gears of War are saving the biggest punches for last

The real fireworks arrive at the end of the month. Minecraft Dungeons II launches September 29, bringing a new adventure, tougher enemies, new gear customisation and up to four-player co-op. It will be available day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Then there’s Keeper on October 2, followed by the big one: Gears of War: E-Day on October 6. The prequel takes players back to Emergence Day, 14 years before the original Gears of War, while also bringing campaign co-op, the new Horde Siege PvE mode, and Versus multiplayer. It’s a day-one Game Pass release.

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So yes, Game Pass subscribers officially have another problem: too many games and absolutely not enough hours in the day. Between surviving Arrakis, crawling through Minecraft dungeons, and chainsawing Locusts, the next few weeks are looking dangerously good for the backlog.

Varun Mirchandani

Varun is an experienced technology journalist and editor with over eight years in consumer tech media. His work spans…

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