Game Pass September: Cold War Arrives, Cyberpunk Checks Out

September's first Game Pass update comes with a deadline for anyone still wandering Night City. Xbox's announcement puts Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on the service September 8 and removes Cyberpunk 2077 from its cloud and console library September 15.

The dates to keep handy

• September 3: SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed.
• September 4: Dice a Million.
• September 8: Black Ops Cold War.
• September 10: The Royal Writ and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage.
• September 15: RuneScape: Dragonwilds.

Subscription eligibility varies: SpeedRunners 2 is listed for Ultimate and PC Game Pass; the other titles above also list Premium. Check Xbox's platform details before planning a download.

Dragonwilds gives the month a different kind of grind

Beyond the shooter headline, Jagex's survival RPG is an interesting pick for a regular gaming group. In its launch announcement, the studio confirms that version 1.0 arrives September 15 and supports solo play or co-op for up to four people.

The setting is Ashenfall, where familiar RuneScape skills feed into exploration, crafting and a campaign against the Dragon Queen, Kuldra. Skills run from level 1 to 99, while magic can help with everyday gathering as well as survival. Jagex also describes a building system with hundreds of pieces for putting down roots between expeditions.

Our pick for a group looking for a longer project is Dragonwilds: building a shared home and developing different skills gives everyone a reason to return. That is a recommendation based on the announced features, rather than a hands-on verdict.

For the immediate backlog, though, Night City has the clearest deadline. If finishing an existing Cyberpunk run matters more than starting something new, put that session first.