Minecraft Dungeons II is coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on September 29
Xbox Wire's second September 2026 Game Pass lineup, published September 15, lists Minecraft Dungeons II for September 29 on cloud, console, handheld and PC. The listing names only Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, and says the game is "Available on day one with Xbox Game Pass." Thurrott.com reported the same plans and date. It said Minecraft Dungeons II (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) is coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on September 29, and described it as the first of two big new first-party games reaching Game Pass in the coming weeks.
The game's Xbox Store page agrees. It reads "Play day one with Game Pass · Coming September 29, 2026." The store lists Xbox Game Studios as publisher and Mojang Studios as developer. The launch date isn't new: back in June, Xbox Wire said the game arrives on September 29, and will be available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, cloud, and included with Game Pass.
As of this writing, the game is six days away. It will appear in the Game Pass library on September 29, not before. If you see it in the Xbox app today, that is a pre-install or wishlist listing.
The name has caused some confusion because the official title uses a Roman numeral. Mojang's own FAQ says Minecraft Dungeons II (aka Minecraft Dungeons 2) is the sequel to the dungeon crawling action-adventure game, Minecraft Dungeons! The FAQ says the sequel includes new missions, new enemies, and all new areas to fight through. The new setting is the Sift – a new dimension coming to Minecraft Dungeons II.
The Standard Edition is the Game Pass version; Deluxe Edition DLC is sold separately
The Xbox Store sells two editions, and it puts the "Included with Game Pass" label only on the Standard Edition. Subscribers get the base game.
The Deluxe Edition is listed separately. Per the store, the Minecraft Dungeons II Deluxe Edition includes everything in the Standard Edition, plus: Soul cape · Blub pet · 4 hero skins · DLC 1 & 2 (available as released). The two DLC packs will arrive after launch. Xbox hasn't said that any Deluxe content comes with the subscription.
Insider Gaming, whose explainer sparked this round of questions, predicted two things: that a Deluxe upgrade will "likely" be sold separately, and that DLC will need a separate purchase, as it did for the first game. Both are reasonable guesses, but neither is confirmed on the official pages. As of this writing, the store doesn't list a standalone Deluxe upgrade for subscribers, and Xbox hasn't said how the two DLC packs will be priced or sold to Game Pass players. If the DLC is the reason you care, hold off on assuming a discount or an upgrade path until those listings exist.
There's also a pre-order bonus. The store says to pre-order today to get two hero skins, the Twisted cape, and the Twisted chicken pet. Minecraft.net says that offer expires September 28, 2026. The store ties the bonus to pre-orders and doesn't say whether Game Pass players get the same items. Treat it as a buyer's perk.
Game Pass Premium and Essential are not on the day-one list
The September 15 Xbox Wire post lists Minecraft Dungeons II under Ultimate and PC Game Pass only. Premium and Essential aren't mentioned. The same post shows how the tiers split. Several older titles in that wave were marked "Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass," including Ninja Gaiden 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Other games, such as Dune: Awakening and Mad King Redemption, went to Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass at the same time.
Insider Gaming says Premium members get select Xbox-published games within 12 months of launch, and that Essential has no stated policy on new releases. Xbox hasn't published a Premium date for Minecraft Dungeons II. The pattern in the September lineup suggests first-party launches reach Premium later, but that's an inference from other games, not a commitment for this one. Premium subscribers who want to play on launch day will have to upgrade their plan or buy the game.
Insider Gaming also frames day-one Game Pass as automatic for first-party games, with Call of Duty as an exception. For this title the general rule doesn't matter: Xbox has explicitly listed Minecraft Dungeons II as a day-one release for the two named plans.
Xbox Play Anywhere, Steam and cloud: where the PC version lives
For Windows players, the platform details are the more practical question. The Xbox Store lists Xbox Series X|S and Windows 10/11 as platforms. The game supports Xbox Play Anywhere, which the store describes this way: Buy Minecraft Dungeons II once and play on Xbox console and PC for no additional cost. Xbox Wire's June post repeats that you can play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with Xbox Play Anywhere.
Play Anywhere is a feature of buying the game through Microsoft. It isn't a Game Pass feature, and a subscription doesn't give you permanent ownership. If your plan lapses, you lose Game Pass access. A Microsoft Store purchase keeps working on both console and PC.
The game will also be sold elsewhere. Xbox Wire says it is also available on Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Those versions don't come through Game Pass. On PC, PC Game Pass gives you the game through the Xbox app, while a Steam copy is a separate purchase on a separate storefront. Xbox hasn't said whether a Steam purchase counts for Play Anywhere, which the store describes only in terms of buying the game through Microsoft.
There's one small inconsistency on the store page. Its platform list names only Xbox Series X|S and Windows 10/11, but the pre-order sections for both editions also show an Xbox One button. Xbox Wire's announcements mention Series X|S, PC and cloud, not Xbox One. If you still play on an Xbox One, check what the listing actually delivers before pre-ordering. Last-generation players can also use Xbox Cloud Gaming through Ultimate.
On multiplayer, the store's footnote says online console multiplayer needs an Xbox Game Pass subscription, sold separately. It doesn't say which tier, and it covers only consoles.
A Hero Cape reward for playing both Minecraft Dungeons games
There's also a cross-game cosmetic. Minecraft.net says to play Minecraft Dungeons I and II with the same Microsoft account to get the cape in Dungeons II and in Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition! According to the terms, the offer requires Minecraft Dungeons I and Minecraft Dungeons II (each game sold separately). Playing the games on Game Pass qualifies.
Game Pass play explicitly counts, so subscribers don't have to buy either game to earn the cape. What matters is using the same Microsoft account for both games. If you share a console or PC between family members, check which account is signed in before you start.
The first game has a long history to build on. It launched in May 2020 and later reached 25 million players, and Mojang officially announced the end of development on September 28, 2023.
What this means for you
Your decision depends on which Game Pass plan you have and whether you care about the Deluxe Edition content. Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can skip buying the base game and play from September 29. Premium and Essential members, and anyone who wants the post-launch DLC, face a real buy-or-wait choice.
- Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers get the Standard Edition of Minecraft Dungeons II on launch day, September 29, 2026, on console, PC, cloud and handheld.
- Game Pass Premium and Essential aren't listed for day-one access, and Xbox hasn't announced a later date for those plans.
- The Deluxe Edition's Soul cape, Blub pet, four hero skins and two DLC packs aren't part of the Game Pass listing, and Xbox hasn't published pricing or an upgrade path for subscribers.
- If you want to keep the game after your subscription ends, a Microsoft Store purchase includes Xbox Play Anywhere across Xbox and Windows 10/11. Steam, PlayStation and Switch copies are separate purchases.
- The pre-order bonus (two hero skins, the Twisted cape and the Twisted chicken pet) expires September 28, the day before launch.
- Playing both Minecraft Dungeons games on the same Microsoft account unlocks the Hero Cape, and playing through Game Pass counts.
Xbox has made Minecraft Dungeons II a day-one Game Pass title for its top two plans, and the only real questions left are about add-ons. Once the game goes live on September 29, the Xbox Store listing should show whether a Deluxe upgrade exists for subscribers. The DLC packs will show whether Microsoft keeps paid expansions separate from Game Pass, as it did with the first game. Premium members have no announced date, so waiting is a gamble.