What’s new in September 2024: 8 upcoming games to check out

By Tomas Franzese Published September 1, 2024

As we head toward the holiday season, the cadence of video game releases will only ramp up. August was already a strong month with games like Black Myth: Wukong and Star Wars Outlaws, and September doesn’t look like it will be a slouch either. There are a couple of big AAA games you can expect to be released this month, but September is actually a great month for niche games that appeal to gamers who are a fan of certain genres.

As September begins, I wanted to highlight eight specific titles coming out this month that we should all be keeping an eye on. Well, it’s technically 58 games — but I’ll explain that when I get to UFO 50.

Recommended if you like: Until Dawn

Supermassive Games is known for its cinematic adventure horror games that place all of the critical life-or-death choices in players’ hands. Previously, it’s done so with Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures games, and The Quarry. Now, it’s partnering with Behaviour Interactive to create a narrative adventure game set in the universe of the asymmetrical multiplayer game Dead by Daylight. Whether you want to learn more Dead by Daylight lore or are just a fan of Supermassive’s adventure games, The Casting of Frank Stone seems like it will be worth checking out.

The Casting of Frank Stone launches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on September 3.

Recommended if you like: Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Astro’s Playroom released as a fantastic pack-in title for the PS5, and it’s getting a full-priced sequel this month. Astro Bot is set to be a full-on 3D platformer full of cameos and references to other PlayStation franchises. From God of War to Bloodborne, many different PlayStation game will appear here. Expect some deeper cuts as well. On top of that, Astro Bot also simply looks like it will be a creative and approachable platformer for gamers of all ages. It’s one of my most anticipated games of the year and should be on your radar as well.

Astro Bot launches exclusively for PS5 on September 6.

Recommended if you like: Gears of War

The original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is considered one of the best Warhammer video games ever made, and it’s now getting a sequel from the developers of the sleeper hit World War Z game. It’s using tech from that zombie game to create massive hordes of enemies for the titular space marines to take on. With a campaign, co-op modes, and competitive multiplayer, fans of third-person shooters won’t want to miss this one. I think Space Marine 2 has a chance of breaking out into the mainstream more than any Warhammer game has before.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 launches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on September 9.

Recommended if you like: classic shareware PC games

The creators of Spelunky’s next release is a total departure from the popular roguelike: UFO 50. It’s a package of 50 different retro-inspired games. The conceit is that these games were all made by a fictional game developer over the course of eight years, and this package is resurfacing them for the modern gaming era. I played UFO 50 at Summer Game Fest and was shocked that the included games don’t just feel like minigames. There are full-fledged platformers, fighting games, RPGs, and more here. In a month that already has a lot of games, UFO 50 is about to dump an additional 50 potentially fantastic ones on top of that pile.

UFO 50 launches for PC on September 18.

Recommended if you like: Dead Island 2

Fans of Capcom’s dormant zombie game franchise are getting a treat this month. Dead Rising is back with Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, which, despite its name, is essentially a full-on faithful remake of the 2006 original. I previewed Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster and found that it retained all of the charm and quirks that made the original so special while making it feel more modern by adding autosave and the ability to move and shoot at the same time. Hopefully, this is successful so the series can come back with a new entry.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster launches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on September 19.

Recommended if you like: Ixion

The original Frostpunk is an intense, intimate survival city-builder where players have to make a lot of tough choices in order to be successful and not let their city fall. It’s getting a sequel later this month, and Frostpunk 2 looks to be upping the scale of things. Frostpunk 2 is a full-on city-builder, with players needing to worry about the macro management of entire districts rather than the individual buildings in a single area. Don’t expect this shift in scale to make Frostpunk 2 any less stressful; if anything, it seems like it will be even more intense than its predecessor.

Frostpunk 2 launches for PC on September 20.

Recommended if you like: Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

If you’re a fan of 4X strategy games like Sid Meier’s Civilization VI and Humankind, then Ara: History Untold should be on your radar this month. In the same fashion as those games, Ara: History Untold tasks players with guiding a nation throughout history, balancing things like happiness and wealth with the expansion of their civilization. This game stands out from its peers because of all the small tweaks players can make within their territory to maximize resource generation and productivity. It’s a very complex game that seems like it will take some time to learn, but just want I want out of an ambitious new 4X game.

Ara: History Untold launches for PC on September 24.

Recommended if you like: The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

Just a little over a year after The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, we’re getting another ambitious Zelda game. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom copies the aesthetic and perspective of the 2019 remake of Link’s Awakening but puts players in the shoes of Zelda rather than Link. Using her Tri-Rod to capture and create copies of enemies and bind herself to objects, it seems like Echoes of Wisdom will emphasize puzzle-solving and creativity, just like Tears of the Kingdom. Zelda being the main playable character has been a long time coming too.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on September 24.