September has traditionally been the time of year when publishers start dropping all their big titles on us—it's just ahead of the holidays, and close enough to the end of the year that standout games aren't forgotten in Game of the Year discussions.
This month's slate of games includes plenty of sequels, remasters, and spinoffs, but there are also original games like Enotria: The Last Song and platform exclusives like Sony’s Astro Bot.
We can't cover everything in this list, so after checking out the titles below, these games and expansions are also worth looking up: Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP, Starfield: Shattered Space, EA FC 25, Greedfall 2, Frostpunk 2, Quidditch Champions, and more are all releasing this month too.
(Editor’s note: Every game on this list is a traditional, “Web2” game without crypto elements.)
The Casting of Frank Stone
Release Date: September 3
Platforms: PC (Epic Games Store, Steam) PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
If you think that Dead by Daylight is just a parade of every horror icon you can imagine chasing down archetypal horror movie characters, well… you're not technically wrong. But Dead by Daylight has its own stories and lore, and Behaviour Interactive is looking to expand on that. To do so, they've brought in a little help: Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games.
This spinoff is a narrative-style game rather than a match-based multiplayer game. A group of friends and aspiring filmmakers go to an abandoned steel mill to make a movie; you can imagine how things go from there. The game will have you playing as multiple characters in a choice-based story. Until Dawn was one of the best surprises of the PlayStation 4 era, so this is worth keeping an eye on.
Astro Bot
Release Date: September 6
Platforms: PlayStation 5
Astro Bot is, these days, the closest thing Sony has to a mascot character. Thus far, though, the adorable little robot has been relegated to representing the console maker's hardware. The first Astro Bot game, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, was a PlayStation VR-exclusive title that stood out as one of the most beloved titles in all of VR gaming.
The second, Astro Bot's Playroom, was a smallish pack-in game with the PlayStation 5 meant to show off the system's DualSense controller. Both games are gorgeous, funny, and charming. Now, Astro Bot is finally getting a dedicated game that isn't designed solely to sell you on Sony hardware—though it might just do that anyway if it's as much fun as Rescue Mission.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Release Date: September 9
Platforms: PC (Epic Games Store, Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Who has the biggest, baddest, coolest armor? It has to be the Space Marines from the Warhammer 40K series. While many Warhammer games take a top-down view closer to that of the series' tabletop origins, Space Marine and its sequel, Space Marine 2, offer a close-up third-person experience.
In the new sequel, you'll play as Ultramarine lieutenant Titus, accompanied by Space Marines Chairon and Gadriel—who can be controlled by other players in co-op mode. You'll be able to aim down sights with gunplay, as well as get into melee combat.
Space Marine 2 is long overdue. Titus' first adventure in Space Marine released in 2011 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3—and 13 years later, his next adventure is finally here. At this rate, they might get the next sequel out in time for it to be the year 40,000!
Enotria: The Last Song
Release Date: September 19
Platforms: PC (Epic Games Store, Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Enotria wears its Soulslike inspirations on its sleeve, with the developers themselves embracing the term when discussing the game. However, at the same time, they're clearly looking to break away from many of the expected tropes of the genre.
Enotria lets you craft up to three completely different builds that you can swap to at any time, including weapons, armor, items, and the game's mask system. The aesthetics and lore are inspired by Italian folklore, history, and theater, giving it a uniquely bright look, while the masks and unusual creature designs keep things spooky and weird.
While the game encourages parries in combat, it lets you modify them to match your own playstyle; for example, you can design yours to parry spells instead of physical damage. If the team can get the combat tuned well, then this could be another great entry in the bustling Soulsborne genre.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Release Date: September 19
Platforms PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
"I've covered wars, you know." That's the line that turned Dead Rising's Frank West into a gaming legend. The photographer dropped into the Willamette Parkview Mall to see what was going on, and ended up at the center of a zombie outbreak. So what did he do? Make weird tools out of random stuff he found in the mall.
Nearly 20 years later, Dead Rising returns with a Deluxe Remastered edition that promises to update the graphics and gameplay alike. If it matches up quality-wise with Capcom's other recent remakes, then this should be a treat for fans of the original when it hits digital shelves.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Release Date: September 26
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Surely, with the next Nintendo console just around the corner, the company doesn't have any major releases left for the system, right? The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom wants to prove you wrong by shaking up the iconic series in an important new way.
This game's cute visual style is similar to that of the recent Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remake, but instead of playing as Link, you'll step into the royal shoes of Princess Zelda as she tries to rescue her kingdom—and Link—from mysterious rifts stealing people away. Who needs the Switch 2? (We do. But it’s probably not coming until some point in 2025.)
Edited by Andrew Hayward