Technologies

Xbox Game Pass Is Looking Like a Great Deal for Fall With These Games

Game Pass Core subscribers also get access to a few more games, including Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.

The monumental Call of Duty franchise has published a new game every year for over 20 years, and this year is no different with the upcoming release of Black Ops 7. And Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play the Black Ops 7 early access open beta starting on Oct. 2 at no additional cost.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV and PC or mobile device for $20 a month. A subscription gives you access to an extensive library of games, with new ones, like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, added monthly, plus other benefits such as online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.

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Here are the games Game Pass subscribers can play soon. You can also check out the games Microsoft added to the service in early September, including Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Xbox Game Pass Standard subscribers can play starting on Sept. 17.

This rebooted first-person shooter comes to Game Pass Standard subscribers more than a year after Game Pass Ultimate subscribers could play it. You can continue the story of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as you and a team of special forces members try to track down an ultranationalist terrorist. You can also take on hordes of the undead in the zombies gameplay mode, or challenge your friends in multiplayer mode. With the Carry Forward feature, you can transfer much of your content and weapons progressions from Modern Warfare 2 to this game.

For the King 2

Xbox Game Pass Standard subscribers can play starting on Sept. 17.

Get ready for this turn-based roguelite tabletop RPG — try to say that five times fast. You and up to three others will work to overthrow the tyrannical Queen Rosomon and bring an end to her oppressive reign. You’ll encounter enemies and friends in lush forests, lava-filled wastelands and Merling-filled tropical seas.

Overthrown (Game preview)

Xbox Game Pass Standard subscribers can play starting on Sept. 17.

Build and manage your kingdom as a monarch with a magical crown in this city-builder game. Be prepared to defend your home at a moment’s notice. Farm the land, build structures needed to survive and protect your citizens from mutants and bandits to keep your people happy.

Game Pass Ultimate subscribers could play this game in January, and Game Pass Standard subscribers can get in on the fun, too.

Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play starting on Sept. 17.

If you played Vampire Survivors, you should give this game a try. It’s another auto-shooter game where your character automatically shoots at enemies, and you have to avoid attacks while also mining minerals from the alien world Planet Hoxxes. And really, you play a dwarf miner in space, need I say more?

Frostpunk 2

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can play starting on Sept. 18.

Game Pass Ultimate subscribers could play this game on PC in 2024, and now Microsoft is bringing this game to console and Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta).

This city-building survival game asks you to make the tough decisions needed to ensure your community survives in an arctic apocalypse. Set 30 years after the events of the award-winning Frostpunk, you play as the Steward, who takes control of the city after the Captain — the original game’s player character — dies. The city is struggling with overpopulation plus food and coal shortages, among other issues. It’s up to you to build shelter and provide enough food for everyone while dealing with the factions vying for power.

Wobbly Life

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play starting on Sept. 18.

Get ready to explore this silly, vibrant, open-world physics sandbox game with your friends or on your own. The world is filled with minigames, missions, secrets, collectibles and tons of clothing options to find and unlock. Plus, there are almost one hundred vehicles you can use as part of jobs, or that you can just crash for the fun of it. It’s up to you.

Hades

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play starting on Sept. 19.

This is one of my all-time favorite games. If I were stuck on an island and could only play five games, Hades would be one of them. It’s an engaging roguelike with tons of different ways to overcome your enemies, but the real star of the game is the touching story about relationships and forgiveness. There’s a reason it made history as the first (and so far only) game to win a Hugo Award — an accolade usually given to science fiction and fantasy literary works, but that created a special category for video games in 2021.

Endless Legend 2 (Game preview)

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play starting on Sept. 22.

Lead your faction to build a great empire that can crush your enemies in this fantasy strategy game. You can play as warriors descended from the stars, cursed knights or hive-minded beasts, but know that each faction has its strengths, weaknesses and unique philosophies that can influence the rest of the game. And fending off enemies is just one challenge in this game. You’ll have to adapt to the changing environment as well. Will you expand as the tides reveal new treasures, or focus on improving your defenses?

Sworn

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play starting on Sept. 23.

Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable have been corrupted in this roguelike game, and it’s up to you to bring them down. This game supports up to four-player co-op action, and players’ strengths can be combined in surprising ways to become worthy knights.

Peppa Pig: World Adventures

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play starting on Sept. 25.

Make a pizza in Italy, climb the Eiffel Tower and explore more places with your friends and family in this Peppa Pig game. You can meet new characters, build your perfect house and go on adventures across the world with Peppa and others.

Visions of Mana

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play starting on Sept. 25.

Square Enix’s latest game in the Mana series follows Val and his childhood friend Hinna as they go on a journey to the legendary Mana Tree. You’ll encounter adorable yet ferocious creatures, use the powers of Elementals in battles and explore a vast semi-open world on your adventure.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play starting on Sept. 30.

Lara Croft is back in this action-adventure game as she attempts to find the Mirror of Smoke. Along the way, she encounters a Mayan tribesman named Totec who has unique weapons and skills to help Lara on her quest. This game has the classic Tomb Raider gameplay elements like exploration, platforming and puzzle solving.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Early Access Open Beta

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play between Oct. 2 and 7.

Fight it out in new 6v6 multiplayer maps, master an arsenal of new weapons and experience the next Call of Duty game before everyone else in the open beta of Black Ops 7. Early access to the beta launches at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Oct. 2 and will last 72 hours. Then, the open beta launches at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Oct. 5 before concluding on Oct. 8.

Sopa – Tale of the Stolen Potato

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play starting on Oct. 7.

Miho goes to the pantry to grab a potato for his grandmother’s soup when he lands in a fantastical land. Now he has to find his way back home by following in the footsteps of a mysterious traveler from long ago. You’ll meet quirky characters, gather exotic ingredients and take in vibrant environments in this world of magical realism inspired by Latin America.

More games on Game Pass Core

Xbox Game Pass Core is the cheapest subscription tier ($10 a month) and gives people access to a handful of games. Microsoft occasionally adds new games to this tier, and on Oct. 1, the company is bringing these games to the service.

Games leaving Game Pass on Sept. 30

While Microsoft is adding those games to Xbox Game Pass, the company is also removing a few games from the service on Sept. 30. You’ll have to buy these games separately after that date.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you. You can also check out what to know about upcoming Xbox game price hikes.

Technologies

Trump Maintains US‑Iran Negotiations Continue Amid Tehran’s Denials of Duplicity

President Trump insists that US‑Iran talks are ongoing despite Tehran’s denial of any negotiation plans, while warning that only a deal or total surrender will allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Conflicting statements from both sides have heightened uncertainty as the conflict enters its sixth month.

On Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that negotiations between the United States and Iran are still taking place, even after Tehran stated it has no intention of engaging in direct talks with Washington.

In a fiery Truth Social post, Trump labeled Iran’s leaders “unbelievably duplicitous,” claiming they are lying about ongoing peace talks “whether Iran wants to admit it or not.” He repeated his assertion that the United States completely controls the Strait of Hormuz, despite maritime traffic through the crucial route lingering at only a small fraction of pre‑conflict levels.

He wrote, “Nothing reaches Iran unless we allow it, and nothing will pass unless a deal—or total surrender—is achieved.”

Earlier that day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters there is no imminent plan for U.S.–Iran negotiations, contradicting Trump’s earlier comment that talks would resume Monday afternoon. Baghaei added that Iran’s only current discussions are with Oman concerning the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflicting statements have heightened uncertainty over the peace‑talk process and the broader conflict, now in its sixth month.

Trump’s assertion about new negotiations came a day after he said on Truth Social that he had agreed to cancel a massive strike against Iran “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.” He said in the same post that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him to hold off on that attack because “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

Trump has claimed dozens of times throughout the more‑than‑five‑month‑long war that a deal is at hand. No permanent deal has been signed, and a temporary ceasefire reached in June has fallen apart.

Trump has also repeatedly threatened to launch devastating strikes against Iran before backing off. After the latest example, oil prices on Monday fell and stocks surged.

BMI, a research unit of Fitch Solutions, said in a note Monday that a broader diplomatic understanding on reopening the Strait of Hormuz is still achievable this quarter, while raising the probability of its escalation scenario to 35% from 25%, citing mounting military, diplomatic and economic signs of rising U.S.-Iran tensions.

“Diplomatic progress is likely to be punctuated by periodic military flare-ups, while miscalculation by either side could trigger a renewed escalation,” BMI analysts wrote in a note. The firm said the key issue to watch is the future governance of the strait, as the Iran-Oman talks — potentially backed by Gulf states, China and the U.S. — point to efforts to build a post-conflict shipping framework.

Shipping risks persist even as diplomacy appears to be advancing. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it received a report of an incident 20 nautical miles (23 miles) northeast of Khasab, Oman — at the mouth of the strait — with a tanker’s master reporting an explosion in close proximity to the vessel at about 20:37 UTC Sunday (4:37 pm ET). The vessel and crew were safe and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said, advising ships to transit with caution.

The proposal Trump announced over the weekend calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and continue ironing out some of the thorny issues that had derailed diplomatic efforts, according to The Associated Press, citing a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.

The official said the proposal also includes a reopening of the Hormuz Strait and halting attacks across the region, including by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on the Arab Gulf countries and Jordan.

The U.S., for its part, will end its naval blockade on Iran and allow Tehran to export its oil, the official said, adding that no deal has been reached, although the mediation efforts remained underway.

Trump’s weekend reversal has lowered the temperature after days of escalating attacks across the Gulf. Kuwait said Saturday that Iranian forces launched a wave of drones within its airspace, with its military destroying multiple aircraft after Iran targeted critical infrastructure in the country’s north.

A parallel track with Muscat is also advancing. Iranian diplomats said Tehran was close to reaching a new arrangement with Oman to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a deal critical to preventing the war from escalating further, according to the Financial Times.

Iranian officials said negotiations over future management of the Hormuz Strait with Oman, which sits on the opposite shore of the waterway, are in their final stages. The agreed shipping route would be different from those used before, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Baghaei, adding that the new route was separate from the issue of the strait’s reopening or continued closure.

Technologies

Oil Prices Slide as Trump Halts Planned Iran Strike

Oil prices dropped after Trump cancelled a planned strike on Iran, with WTI down about 5% and Brent near 5% lower. He said the move followed requests from Tehran and regional allies for a pause while a deal shaping the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program is negotiated.

Oil prices fell on Monday after President Donald Trump announced he had cancelled a planned strike on Iran. WTI futures dropped roughly 5% to $80.34 a barrel, while Brent slipped about 4.7% to $83.77 a barrel.

Trump said early Sunday he called off the strike after Iran and several Middle Eastern nations asked him to hold off, noting that the outlines of a deal had been agreed upon. He added that the prospective accord would entail the immediate, full opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, according to his Truth Social post.

The president had been considering another round of strikes as diplomatic hopes waned since the conflict began on February 28. He said the U.S. and Iran would meet for talks on Monday, but Iran denied any scheduled negotiations with Washington, citing PressTV. Iran’s foreign‑ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei clarified that Tehran was only discussing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman. In a follow‑up Truth Social message, Trump insisted that, regardless of Iran’s acknowledgment, the United States is indeed discussing a solution to a long‑standing problem created by Iran.

Technologies

Oil Prices Drop as Trump Cancels Planned Attack on Iran

Oil prices fell sharply after President Trump announced the cancellation of a planned strike on Iran, citing a new deal that would open the Hormuz Strait and end Iran’s nuclear threat.

Oil prices fell sharply on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that he had called off a planned strike on Iran.

West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. benchmark, slipped roughly 5% to close at $80.34 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, declined 4.7% to settle at $83.77 a barrel.

Trump made the announcement early Sunday, saying he had canceled the strike following requests from Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries.

In a Truth Social post, he wrote: “We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

The president indicated that the proposed agreement would include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Hormuz Strait, as well as an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.

Trump had been weighing additional strikes amid diminishing prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict that began on Feb. 28. He stated that the U.S. and Iran would hold negotiations on Monday.

Tehran denied that talks were planned with Washington, according to state news outlet PressTV.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was only holding talks with Oman regarding the routes ships can use through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a subsequent Truth Social post, Trump added that whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused for decades.”