The video games season is here. This September, it’s beginning to look a lot like a gamer’s Christmas! The gaming industry has turned Santa Claus, stuffing your digital stockings with epic releases that are more thrilling than a sleigh ride down a mountain.
Forget sugarplums—visions of next-gen graphics, immersive storylines, and ground-breaking gameplay are dancing in our heads. Mark your calendars and get ready to hit that download button—here’s the sleigh-load of video games going live in September 2023!
Video games flood Q2 2023
This month sees the release of a slew of high-profile games. While some games, such as the cosy MMO Palia, the sci-fi trading card NFT game Parallel, and Yuga Labs’ Legends of the Mara, are giving open betas, there are also plenty of large AAA titles that will completely debut in September. Here’s a look at the most anticipated video games for September 2023.
1. Mortal Kombat 1
Mortal Kombat 1, contrary to its moniker, is the twelfth installment in the classic fighting game series. This piece leads the most anticipated games in the month. It will be released on September 14 for Windows PCs, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Mortal Kombat 1 will launch with 20 playable characters, including Johnny Cage, Liu Kang, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Raiden, some of the franchise’s original retro combatants.
Mortal Kombat 1 appears promising, featuring AAA-quality animation and an abundance of magic and blood. The NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. game appears to be a gruesome 2023 update of the classic series, featuring 1v1 combat in a variety of environments.
2. Starfield
Starfield is an ambitious science-fiction action role-playing game (ARPG) developed by Bethesda Game Studios, the studio behind Fallout and Elder Scrolls (Skyrim). Starfield is the studio’s first new IP in nearly 30 years, and screenshots from its trailers and gameplay revelations have generated a great deal of online buzz.
The game allows players to embark on virtual space quests, customize spaceships and characters, construct their own backstory, and explore over a thousand planets, of which 100 will contain life.
Starfield will be released on September 6 for the majority of players, but purchasers of the Premium Edition will have access to the game on September 1. The game will be available on Windows PC, Xbox Series X and S, and Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have access at launch.
3. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
CD Projekt Red’s open-world ARPG Cyberpunk 2077 was first launched in 2020, but its Phantom Liberty extension is likely to be a significant addition. Following the original game’s initially troubled debut, it’s entirely feasible that Phantom Liberty will provide the necessary overhaul for players to fall in love all over again.
Phantom Liberty will introduce new gaming locations, as well as additional objectives or “gigs,” cosmetics, and in-game devices. The expansion will include vehicle combat, allowing players to shoot while driving, deploy weaponry linked to their vehicles, and hack other cars to destroy them. A big free Cyberpunk 2077 game update will also be released on the same date for all players, regardless of whether they purchase the expansion.
4. NBA 2K24
Want some NBA action before the start of the next season? NBA 2K24 is a basketball simulation video game that will be released on Windows PCs, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 4/5, and the Switch on September 8 by 2K Games.
The officially licensed game will feature an extensive roster of NBA and WNBA athletes. Players will be able to accumulate and trade virtual card packs, but they are not NFTs. Additionally, NBA 2K24 will feature new Badges and alterations to shooting, adrenaline enhancements, and takeovers. Cross-play will be available for the latest iteration of consoles for the first time in the series’ history, allowing PS5 and Xbox Series X/S players to compete against each other.
5. EA Sports FC 24
Do you enjoy football? On September 29, Electronic Arts will release its next football simulation, EA Sports FC 24. Ultimate Edition purchasers will have early access to the game on September 22. EA Sports FC 24 will be accessible on Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Series X and S, and PlayStation 4 and 5.
EA Sports FC 24 is the first EA football game since the studio terminated its long-running partnership with FIFA in 2017. Unlike its FIFA-branded predecessors, EA Sports FC 24 will allow players to include female players on their squads. In addition to having a roster of 19,000 licensed players and 100 distinct stadiums, it also has a vast roster of 100 stadiums.
Nike announced in June that its .Swoosh NFT brand would be incorporated into upcoming EA Sports titles. However, it is not clear which games these NFTs will be functional in. EA told IGN in June that it is not “offering NFTs,” but is instead “collaborating with Nike” to determine how .Swoosh items could be added to “future EA Sports experiences.” Stay updated!
6. Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
Final Fantasy fans, rejoice: a new mobile game is on its way. Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis will be available on Android and iOS on September 7. The free-to-play RPG will feature gacha or loot box-style weapon and gear elements, as well as new character outfits.
Every Crisis will introduce three new stories and tell more about young Sephiroth’s origins and past. However, Ever Crisis will include lore and elements from the original PlayStation classic as well as spinoffs The First Soldier, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, and even the film “Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.”
