Xbox Game Pass is adding a ton of indies this month

By Otto Kratky September 14, 2021

Xbox Game Pass’ library of games is getting an infusion of a different sort in September. While other monthly updates for the subscription service have tended to focus on AAA releases, this one’s all about the indies. September’s update for Xbox Game Pass includes both established indie hits and unreleased titles that have earned their share of early attention.

Starting September 16, Game Pass users can download a slew of sizable indies, including I Am Fish, Skatebird, and Superliminal. The two animal-themed games are fairly straightforward, with I Am Fish having players help an aquatic pet escape to the ocean, while Skatebird is, naturally, about a bird that can skateboard. Superliminal, meanwhile, is a perspective-bending puzzle title that requires players to think outside of their typical notions of scale.

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Just days later, on September 23, another sizable group of titles will launch on Game Pass, including the incredibly stylish Sable, in which players adventure across a cel-shaded world to guide Sable through an ancient rite of passage.

Also coming on September 23 are Lost Words: Beyond the Page and Tainted Grail: Conquest, a roguelike deck-builder filled with grotesque monsters and strange allies. The Subnautica sequel Subnautica: Below Zero will likewise be making its Game Pass debut on September 23, taking players from a tropical alien planet to one that’s frozen over.

As always, a select group of titles will also be leaving Game Pass at the end of this month. On September 31, Drake Hollow, Ikenfell, Night in the Woods, Kathy Rain, and Warhammer: Vermintide 2 will all be leaving the service. Anyone who isn’t ready to say goodbye just yet can purchase any of those titles for 20% off.

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Microsoft has announced a 10-year partnership with Nvidia aimed at bringing Xbox PC games to its cloud gaming service competitor Nvidia GeForce Now as part of its ongoing efforts to win over companies skeptical of its potebtial Activision Blizzard acquisition.
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Microsoft has been under a lot of regulatory scrutiny even since it announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022. It's trying to win over industry peers with deals like this one with Nvidia. This week, the Communications Workers of America voiced its approval of the deal, and Microsoft has signed a binding agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms as well. Previously, Nvidia had raised concerns about Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, but the press release announcing this agreement states that the deal "resolves Nvidia's concerns," and that Nvidia now gives "full support for regulatory approval of the acquisition."
Regulatory bodies in the U.S., U.K., and Europe are worried that Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will hurt the game industry and sabotage Microsoft's competitors in both console and cloud gaming. Nvidia GeForce Now is seen as one of the biggest competitors to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud service offerings, which makes it surprising that it reached an agreement with Nvidia. However, this deal also demonstrates how Microsoft is willing to make concessions so that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved.