Xbox Game Pass continues to be a must-have service for Xbox owners. In exchange for a relatively cheap subscription fee, Xbox Game Pass users get instant access to well over 100 games, with new titles added regularly. Xbox Game Pass's August 2021 lineup has been especially strong, with the addition of award-winning Hades and upcoming titles potentially being huge gets for the service, but the months ahead will have even more for Xbox Game Pass users to get excited about.
Microsoft typically announces new Xbox Game Pass games at two different times each month - once at the beginning of the month, and once in the middle of the month. Because of this, the majority of the new games coming to Xbox Game Pass in the coming months haven't been announced yet. But even if Xbox Game Pass was only getting the games that have already been confirmed, it would still be a high value service that practically pays for itself.
Here are the biggest Xbox Game Pass games confirmed for fall 2021. For the sake of simplicity, we'll consider "Fall 2021" to be the months of September through November.
Xbox Game Pass Games September 2021
- Skatebird (September 16)
- Aragami 2 (September 17)
- Lemnis Game (September 28)
September 2021 has multiple games confirmed for Xbox Game Pass debuts, with three in particular standing out from the pack. The quirky bird skateboarding game Skatebird was originally meant to be a new Xbox Game Pass game for August 2021, but it was delayed just before launch for some last-minute polish. Skatebird has gotten plenty of attention in the indie space since its announcement, and it stands a good chance at being yet another solid indie addition to the service's lineup.
Shortly after Skatebird comes to Game Pass on August 16, Aragami 2 will hit the service on September 17. The sequel to the third-person stealth action game Aragami, Aragami 2 will be a day one Xbox Game Pass release, and it even includes a dedicated Xbox Series X version. And finally, Xbox Game Pass subscribers also have Lemnis Gate to look forward to come September 28, with its unique premise of being a turn-based first-person shooter.
Xbox Game Pass Games October 2021
- Back 4 Blood (October 12)
- Age of Empires 4 (October 28)
When it comes to October 2021, there are two big games that stand out as Xbox Game Pass day one titles. First up is Back 4 Blood, the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead that's currently in development at Turtle Rock Studios. Back 4 Blood's open beta is available to download now across multiple platforms, so anyone interested by the premise can give it a shot before it has its proper launch in October. And then any Xbox Game Pass subscriber can try Back 4 Blood without breaking the bank, as it will be available on Microsoft's service the same day it launches across all platforms. Back 4 Blood is a huge "get" for Game Pass, and shows that even third-party games can have big day one debuts.
Third-party games are a huge part of Xbox Game Pass' success, but fans know they're guaranteed all Xbox Game Studios-published games on day one. That holds true for upcoming real-time strategy game Age of Empires 4, the long-awaited fourth installment in the classic strategy series. Coming a whopping 16 years after the launch of Age of Empires 3, Age of Empires 4 looks like it will live up to the hype, and should be a huge perk for Xbox Game Pass users on PC.
Xbox Game Pass Games November 2021
- Forza Horizon 5 (November 9)
November 2021 is typically the biggest month for new video game releases in any given year, and it seems like this year won't be any different. Numerous big games are currently scheduled to launch in November 2021, including one of the most high profile Xbox console exclusives. Everything that's been shown for Forza Horizon 5 has looked hugely impressive so far, with the game offering jaw-dropping graphics alongside a massive open world Mexico. And with Playground Games' near-spotless track record, it's a safe bet that Forza Horizon 5 is going to be one of the top-scoring games of the year.
TBA Fall 2021
- Halo Infinite
- Stardew Valley
In the meantime, there are some other big Xbox Game Pass games coming in fall 2021 that don't have release dates yet. This includes award-winning farming sim game Stardew Valley, considered by many to be one of the best indie games of the last decade. Stardew Valley remains hugely popular years after its release, but its debut on Xbox Game Pass should ensure that it finds a brand new audience.
And of course, the most significant game coming to Xbox Game Pass in fall 2021 is quite easily Halo Infinite. The latest entry in Microsoft's flagship franchise, Halo Infinite is bringing a massive new story campaign campaign to the table alongside classic Halo multiplayer that will be completely free to play. 343 Industries is going all-out with Halo Infinite, and it could very well prove to be a system seller for Xbox Series X, as well as convince even more people to sign up for Xbox Game Pass.
There's no denying that Xbox Game Pass has some serious heavy hitters on the way in the coming months, and if everything releases as expected, it should all add up to being one of the hottest streaks for the service to date.