Rematch Lands in Game Pass Essential With Cloud, Console and PC Listings
Microsoft announced the Essential addition in its September Game Pass post on Xbox Wire. Rematch (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, and PC) – September 25. Now with Game Pass Essential; joining Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass. The game is not new to Game Pass. It was already in the higher tiers and in PC Game Pass, and today's change brings it to Essential subscribers.
Xbox describes the game this way: "a third-person, team-based soccer game where every pass, volley, and tackle matters. Designed for 5v5 online play, Rematch puts you in full control of one athlete, with no offsides, no fouls, and no downtime." Pure Xbox describes it the same way, as an online multiplayer football game played in fast 5v5 matches from a third-person view.
Microsoft listed this addition separately from the rest of the wave. Most titles in the post fall under "Available Today," "Coming Soon," or "In Case You Missed It," while Rematch sits alone under a "Coming Soon to Game Pass Essential" heading. For Essential subscribers, that heading is where tier changes show up. The platforms listed for Rematch are cloud, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The Handheld label, which Xbox uses for games "optimized for handheld play," is not on this one.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Moves Into Game Pass Premium
The second change is for Premium subscribers. According to Xbox Wire, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available on cloud, console, handheld and PC from September 25, "Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass." As with Rematch, the game was already in Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The news is that Premium now includes it.
Xbox describes it as a game "Developed by the award-winning teams at Treyarch and Raven Software," with a single-player campaign, multiplayer and the return of round-based Zombies. Pure Xbox adds that the story is set in the early 1990s, around the end of the Cold War.
The same Xbox Wire post shows this is part of a steady pattern. Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Planet of Lana II, Routine, Ultimate Sheep Raccoon and Ninja Gaiden 4 all got the same "Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass" label in mid-September, and Keeper is scheduled for October 2. Black Ops 6 is the biggest name in this month's group of games moving into Premium.
It helps to set this against the day-one releases. Titles such as Minecraft Dungeons II (September 29) and Gears of War: E-Day (October 6) are listed only for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Premium subscribers get older catalogue games like Black Ops 6. They are not in line for those launches unless Microsoft adds them later.
EA Sports FC 27 Launches Today, but Game Pass Only Covers a 10-Hour Trial
EA Sports FC 27 is the item most likely to confuse people. The full game is released today and sold separately. The Game Pass benefit is a limited trial through EA Play. EA's launch update gives the timing: EA Play members can access a 10-hour trial on 18 September at 04:00 UTC. EA SPORTS FC 27 launches on PC on 24 September at 23:00 UTC, and on all other platforms on 25 September at 00:00 regional time. Game Rant reports the same release timing.
So September 25 is launch day for the full game, not the first day of the trial. The trial opened a week ago, and a subscriber who started then may already have used some or all of the 10 hours.
Pure Xbox links the trial to Game Pass Ultimate, but Microsoft's own wording covers more subscribers. Xbox Wire's September 18 announcement says the EA Sports FC 27 10-hour EA Play trial is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Xbox on PC for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members. PC Game Pass members are eligible too. Pure Xbox also lists cloud for the game, but Microsoft's trial announcement names only Series X|S, Xbox One and PC. Cloud play of the trial is not confirmed.
Xbox Wire also explains what happens if you buy the game. If members decide to buy, their progress carries over to the full game, so they can pick up the season right where they left off. Members can also save up to 10% on the full game, FC Points, and other EA digital purchases. EA's EA Play page confirms that EA Play members get a 10-hour trial of the Standard Edition. The trial covers the Standard Edition only, not the more expensive editions.
The Xbox listing also notes a platform difference. Xbox Wire marks The Grounds, the new social football mode that Pure Xbox and EA both promote, as (Xbox Series X|S only). That leaves Xbox One players without the headline new mode, even though the trial runs on Xbox One.
According to How To Video Game, EA is also releasing a free FC 27 Lite version on September 25 at 16:00 UTC, and the outlet says details about its contents are limited. No other outlet in the available reporting confirms that release, so treat it as unconfirmed until EA's store listings appear.
The Other 12 Xbox Releases Hitting the Store on September 25
The headline says "10+" games, but Pure Xbox's "Other New Xbox Releases" section lists 12 titles in addition to the three Game Pass and EA entries. The roundup gives only a short store-style description for each. It does not list prices, per-platform availability, or whether a game runs on Xbox One, Series X|S or PC, so check the store listing before assuming a game is on your device.
| Title | Genre, per its store description |
|---|---|
| 2048 Battles – Sylvan Sirens | 2048-style number-tile puzzle framed as combat against woodland enemies |
| Angle Of Attack | 2D fighter-jet combat over fields, cities and seas |
| Gods With Guns | 2D shooter starring Norse figures including Odin, Thor, Loki and Hela |
| Moonlight Chess | Turn-based auto-battler tactics with army building and enemy waves |
| Owlen and the Starbound Mountain | Gliding adventure across an icy mountain |
| Retro Cube Slider | Single-screen sliding puzzles built around a neon cube |
| Roots | Restoring an inherited farm |
| Runes Quest | Sokoban-style puzzler with 30 levels across light and dark biomes |
| The Relic: First Guardian | Dark action game drawing on Korean stories, from Project Cloud Games |
| Tiny Tanks Showdown | Tank combat focused on aiming and dodging fire |
| Used Cars Simulator | Repairing and selling cars, plus driving and exploration |
| Vampire Blood Dynasty | Vampire political intrigue set in a modern city, with player choices |
The descriptions come from the developers, so they are marketing copy, not reviews. The listing for The Relic: First Guardian says it was made by a core team of about a dozen people over six years. The Runes Quest listing is the most specific, stating 30 levels and two biomes. None of the 12 appears in Microsoft's September Game Pass announcement, so all of them are ordinary store purchases.
What this means for you
What you should do depends on your Game Pass tier, and whether you are buying FC 27 depends on whether a 10-hour trial is enough for you.
- Game Pass Essential subscribers can play Rematch from September 25 on cloud, Xbox Series X|S or PC, with no extra purchase.
- Game Pass Premium subscribers get Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 from September 25 on cloud, console, handheld and PC. Ultimate and PC Game Pass members already had it.
- Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can use the 10-hour EA Sports FC 27 EA Play trial on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One or PC. It covers the Standard Edition, and progress carries over if you buy the game.
- The FC 27 trial has been live since September 18 at 04:00 UTC, so if you started it last week, check how much time you have left before assuming you have a full 10 hours.
- Xbox One owners can run the FC 27 trial, but The Grounds mode is listed for Xbox Series X|S only.
- Check each of the 12 other releases in the Microsoft Store for platform support and price, because the roundup gives neither.
Today's releases follow the pattern of this Game Pass cycle. Premium and Essential get established games from the higher tiers, while day-one launches stay in Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The next dates in the same Xbox Wire announcement are Minecraft Dungeons II on September 29 and Gears of War: E-Day on October 6, both for Ultimate and PC Game Pass only. On September 30, eight titles leave the library, including Atomfall, Sifu and Little Nightmares 2 Enhanced Edition. That is the deadline to finish them or buy them.