September 2023 has become a reference point for Xbox Game Pass. In the years since, through 2026, the subscription service has continued to evolve, but industry analysts and players still return to that month when discussing what a perfect Game Pass slate can look like. At the center of it was Starfield, Bethesda's sprawling space RPG, which arrived as a day-one Game Pass release and helped define the service's identity for a new generation of consoles and PC players. Xbox's Phil Spencer framed the moment as the beginning of a 'multi-year relay race of first-party titles,' a statement that gave subscribers a reason to expect sustained value rather than isolated blockbusters.

Starfield was not alone. Xbox Game Pass had an eye-watering total of four day-one games releasing in September 2023, and that number did not even include Starfield. The lineup spanned soulslike action, multiplayer party chaos, cooperative heist shooting, and minimalist puzzle design. That diversity was a key part of the month's success: instead of chasing a single genre, Game Pass offered something for nearly every mood. 📅🎮

On September 19, Lies of P launched on Xbox Game Pass, bringing a dark, Belle Époque-inspired take on the soulslike formula. A day later, the long-awaited Party Animals dropped, offering chaotic physics-based multiplayer fun. Just one day after that, Payday 3 arrived, giving cooperative shooter fans a new heist sandbox. Finally, at the end of the month, indie puzzler Cocoon launched day one, proving that Game Pass could balance massive first-party releases with smaller, artful experiences. September 2023 may be one of the greatest months in Xbox Game Pass history, but even then, it could still have been better.

The Games That Could Have Been the Cherry on Top

Even with Starfield and four day-one titles, subscribers and critics identified a handful of games that would have made September 2023 truly unforgettable. These were not random requests; they were titles that fit the service's strengths and would have added prestige, variety, or nostalgia.

Dredge, released in March 2023, was almost guaranteed to appear on top 10 indie game lists at the end of that year. Though it starts like a fairly unassuming fishing game, Dredge quickly devolves into a Lovecraftian nightmare, where the catcher soon becomes prey. Its incredibly simple gameplay loop sends players out on their boat, catches fish, returns to land, and sells inventory for upgrades. That loop is addictive, and its underlying horror tone makes it stand out in a sea of other great indies. For Xbox Game Pass, Dredge would have been a must-have.

Sifu, released in February 2022, is one of the best indie games of 2022 and potentially one of the best beat-em-up games ever made. Heavily inspired by kung fu action movies, Sifu sees players block, parry, and martial arts their way through a handful of stages. Each stage takes place in a new location, and each one puts the player up against an incredibly challenging boss at the end. With the final free Arenas update heading to Sifu on September 7, 2023, there had never been a better time for the title to come to Xbox Game Pass.

The Red Dead Redemption brand saw its fair share of controversy in the weeks before September 2023. After rumors of a Red Dead Redemption remake turned out to be a simple port to PS4 and Switch, and an expensive one at that, many fans were rightly frustrated with Rockstar. But both Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 are still excellent games, and they were missing from the Xbox Game Pass line-up at the time. With GTA 5 back on Xbox Game Pass, it was the perfect moment for either Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2, or both to come to the service.

A pie-in-the-sky pick, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor would obviously have been a phenomenal pull for Xbox Game Pass in September 2023, no matter how unlikely it was to actually happen anytime soon. Improving on its predecessor's already-great formula in just about every way, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a sequel done right and truly one of the greatest Star Wars games ever made.

Why September 2023 Still Matters in 2026

By 2026, Xbox Game Pass is no longer judged merely by the size of its catalog. Subscribers expect a steady rhythm of day-one releases, meaningful first-party drops, and curated catalog additions. September 2023 became an early blueprint for that expectation. It showed that a single month could combine a blockbuster like Starfield with inventive indies, multiplayer staples, and cooperative shooters without losing focus.

The month also demonstrated the risks of success. When a service delivers four day-one games plus a major first-party RPG, the next month faces impossible comparisons. That is why the wishlist games from 2023 remain relevant in retrospect. Dredge, Sifu, Red Dead Redemption, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor represented different kinds of value: critical darling, genre masterclass, open-world prestige, and blockbuster spectacle. Any one of them would have strengthened the lineup; together, they would have made September 2023 legendary.

In 2026, the 'multi-year relay race' that Phil Spencer described is still the right metaphor. Game Pass succeeds when each month hands off momentum to the next, rather than relying on a single tentpole release. September 2023 proved that the service could run that race at full speed. It remains a benchmark, a cautionary tale, and a reminder that the best subscription lineups are built from both massive exclusives and surprising smaller gems. 🎮✨