Xbox Free Play Days: Four Games Available Through September 6

Xbox Free Play Days is offering four games from September 3 through September 6, but the access rules differ by title. EA Sports College Football 27 is fully playable without an additional requirement, while The Survivalists requires an Xbox Game Pass membership. The Lonesome Guild and Under the Waves are available to everyone for two-hour trials, giving players a limited opportunity to test both games before deciding whether to buy them.

What players can access through September 6

The biggest addition is EA Sports College Football 27, which is available with no stated gameplay limit or subscription requirement. The sports simulation includes an updated Dynasty Mode built around the modern college football environment, expanded Road to Glory positions, more than 1,500 new plays, dynamic weather, and revised player interactions. It launched on July 9, 2026, and has an Xbox Metascore of 75.

The Survivalists is also fully playable once accessed, although it is free only for Xbox Game Pass members. Team17’s survival-crafting game sends players to procedurally generated islands where they gather resources, construct equipment and shelters, explore, and fight. Its monkey system allows players to train companions for tasks including gathering, construction, and combat. Solo play and cooperative sessions with up to four players are supported.

Which games are limited trials

The Lonesome Guild and Under the Waves are both marked as Free for All, but each is capped at two hours. That distinction makes them better suited to sampling than completing during the promotion.

The Lonesome Guild is a top-down action RPG about Ghost, a spirit without memories who recruits six companions in a world affected by loneliness. Combat allows players to switch between party members and combine their abilities, while side quests develop the characters. The game is estimated to take about 12 hours, so the trial represents only a small portion of the full experience.

Under the Waves is a narrative adventure set beneath the North Sea in an alternate 1979. Players follow Stan, a professional diver coping with personal loss while encountering unsettling events tied to his memories. Its campaign is roughly seven hours, making the two-hour trial a more substantial preview than the one offered for The Lonesome Guild. The game is discounted from $29.99 to $4.49 during the promotion.

How to choose and claim the games

Players can install the featured titles through Xbox.com and the Microsoft Store. On Xbox consoles, the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store is described as the simplest route to the promotion.

The practical choice depends on how much time and access a player has. Football fans can explore College Football 27 without racing a trial clock. Game Pass members can spend more time with The Survivalists, although its approximately 25-hour length makes completing it before September 6 unlikely. Players seeking a shorter narrative preview may get more value from Under the Waves, while The Lonesome Guild offers a quick introduction to its combat and party systems.

What players should know

• The promotion runs from September 3 through September 6.
• EA Sports College Football 27 is the only title with unrestricted access for all participating Xbox users.
• The Survivalists requires an Xbox Game Pass membership but is fully playable for eligible members.
• The Lonesome Guild and Under the Waves each provide a two-hour trial.
• All four games receive discounts during the promotion, with Under the Waves listed at $4.49 instead of $29.99.

Xbox Free Play Days lineup

Expert View

This is a useful Xbox promotion, but it is not an equally generous offer across all four games. College football fans receive the clearest benefit, while Game Pass members get a complete survival game to explore. The two-hour trials are still worthwhile for testing the less familiar titles, though players should treat them as purchase demos rather than full free releases.