XP Drop - 22nd September

Hi and welcome to XP Drop, your weekly power-up of gaming news.
Every week we round up everything that’s happened in video games since the last XP Drop, so you don’t have to hunt across dozens of sites.

From surprise releases and Steam chart climbers to Xbox Game Pass additions, PlayStation buzz, Nintendo rumours, and the biggest esports results, it’s all here in one scroll.

Grab your favourite controller (or coffee) and catch up on the past week’s must-know gaming updates. Ready? Let’s level up.

New releases & updates

Skate (Early Access) - 16th Sept

  • Free-to-play Early Access.

  • PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X|S/One, PC; mobile later; cross-play/cross-progression confirmed.

  • First major Skate release in 15 years, emphasising physics-driven tricks, social spots in San Vansterdam, and creator tools - high “watchlist” title for the live-service skater niche.

Hollow Knight: Silksong launch momentum

  • Third-party estimates 3.2M+ Steam copies in less than 2 weeks, with 1.5M via Game Pass downloads.

  • 79% buyers were returning Hollow Knight players; huge franchise pull-through.

  • One of 2025’s breakout “core” hits, with long tail likely through content patches and speedrunning.

Borderlands 4 chart-topping launch holds

  • Steam global top seller across the 9th 16th Sept window; still sticky in weekly charts post-launch.

  • Strong PC demand for looter-shooters persists despite crowded Q3 slate.

Dying Light: The Beast momentum build

  • Debuted mid-Sept and broke into Steam top sellers, riding co-op survival interest + franchise goodwill. 

EA SPORTS FC 26 (PC/Steam store presence)

  • Pre-release store push lifted it into weekly top-seller lists ahead of 25th Sept rollout, football cycle hype is peaking. 

What players are buying right now (PC)

Steam top-sellers snapshot

  • Counter-Strike 2, Dying Light: The Beast, EA SPORTS FC 26, Borderlands 4 all charted highly, with Silksong still among the paid leaders.

  • Hardware kicker: Steam Deck and VR kit entries remain evergreen in revenue rankings, skewing chart optics toward Valve hardware.

Xbox Game Pass - September Wave 2 (mid-month)

  • New additions include Hades, Visions of Mana, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, and more across Console/PC/Cloud, a well-balanced slate for variety seekers.

  • Expect knock-on engagement for roguelikes and co-op survival, and renewed “discoverability” spikes for catalogue indies.

Nintendo & Switch 2 - post-Direct ripples

  • Following earlier September showcases, coverage this week continued to spotlight Switch 2 software pipelines for late-2025 and into 2026, including tentpoles like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Dec 2025) and Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Oct 2025), plus a flurry of third-party confirmations and remasters.

  • New amiibo lines tied to Metroid Prime 4, Kirby Air Riders, and Super Mario Galaxy drew heavy pre-order chatter (release windows Nov–Dec 2025; April 2026 for Galaxy set).

PlayStation watch - Showcase/State of Play buzz

  • Trade chatter and outlet reporting through this week point to a PlayStation State of Play imminently (late Sept window), potentially priming TGS week with first-party/partner beats.

  • Sony ran a State of Play deep dive for 007 First Light on 3 Sept; fans now expect a broader line-up update any day.

Tokyo Game Show 2025 - the week ahead (starts 25th Sept)

  • Dates/venue: 25th - 28th Sept at Makuhari Messe; business days 25th – 26th, public 27th – 28th; pre-event online streams from 24th Sept.

  • 1,200+ exhibitions expected; JRPG-heavy stream slates returning; major booths flagged by media roundups.

  • Publishers teasing line-ups include Capcom (look for Resident Evil Requiem, Monster Hunter beats) and PlayStation presence as per line-up posts.

Esports - VALORANT Champions 2025 (Paris) snapshot

  • Status: Group stage wrapped up this weekend; G2 and RRQ survived elimination crunches, DRX clinched a playoff spot after a clean 2-0 vs Team Liquid.

  • VALORANT’s end-of-year tentpole drives streaming spikes and crossover interest; team narratives fuel social search.

FAQs

When does Tokyo Game Show 2025 start?
25th Sept 2025 (public days 27th – 28th) at Makuhari Messe, Chiba.

Is Skate free and cross-play?
Yes, early Access is free-to-play with cross-play/cross-progression across console and PC. 

What’s topping Steam right now?
Borderlands 4 led post-launch; Dying Light: The Beast, EA SPORTS FC 26, and Silksong feature prominently across mid-Sept charts.

Is a PlayStation State of Play happening in September?
Not officially announced at the time of writing, but multiple outlets signal it’s imminent as TGS week approaches.

TL;DR

  • Skate hit Early Access on 16th Sept (free-to-play, cross-play), kicking off one of the month’s most-watched launches.

  • Hollow Knight: Silksong smashed early commercial estimates with multi-million PC sales + big Game Pass traction.

  • Steam charts crowned Borderlands 4 while Dying Light: The Beast and EA SPORTS FC 26 surged into the week’s global top sellers.

  • Xbox Game Pass (Wave 2) added heavy hitters mid-month. 

  • Tokyo Game Show 2025 week is upon us (25th – 28th Sept): exhibitor teases and schedule details landed.

  • PlayStation buzz points to a September State of Play imminently, as TGS looms.

  • Esports: VALORANT Champions 2025 group stage drama—key teams secure survival and playoff berths.

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