Labor Day weekend is here, marking the unofficial end of summer and the last long weekend before fall properly settles in. While some people are heading to the beach or firing up the grill, gamers might be planning a different kind of send-off: a marathon gaming session with friends. There’s no better time to kick back, grab your controller, and take advantage of a few extra days to dive into something exciting. And if you’re playing on Xbox Series X/S, this holiday weekend offers the perfect excuse to load up on squad-based or co-op titles.
These games on Xbox are designed for teamwork, communication, and just the right amount of chaos. They offer the kind of energy that turns a lazy long weekend into a string of memorable gaming moments with loved ones. Whether you’re strategizing through intergalactic warfare or frantically saving your kitchen from burning down, these titles will make this Labor Day one for the books.
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 made waves this week by finally landing on Xbox Series X/S on August 26, and the timing couldn’t be better for a holiday weekend full of chaos. Known for its relentless, squad-focused firefights, this shooter puts you and your friends on the frontlines of an intergalactic war against hostile alien factions. The mission is to spread “managed democracy” across the galaxy: one bullet, airstrike, and accidental friendly fire at a time.
To mark its Xbox debut, Helldivers 2 is bringing an extra treat for Xbox aficionados. It debuts with a Halo 3: ODST-themed warbond. It’s a perfect nod to Xbox’s roots and a stylish way to suit up before diving into the fight. So if your group is ready to swap barbecue smoke for battlefield explosions, now’s the time to gear up and show the galaxy what Super Earth is made of.
Helldivers 2
9/10
- Released
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February 8, 2024
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
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Arrowhead Game Studios
Overcooked 2
Want a game that will likely break up a friend group? Look no further than Overcooked 2. This weekend, you and some friends can pick up this fun co-op title and really put in the work to earn a proper Labor Day celebration. Overcooked 2’s earlier levels will have friends working together to ensure that orders come out on time. Through communication, quick thinking, and collaboration, friends can thrive… until they don’t. Because eventually, the game will challenge even the best virtual chefs with its rising difficulty, lapses in judgment, and inevitable shouting—especially when someone starts a fire because they were at the wrong station.
Split Fiction
Hazelight Studios has established an excellent track record for itself. From impressing co-op fans with A Way Out to surprising the world with an incredible 2021 Game of the Year win with It Takes Two, it seems like Hazelight’s only direction is up. To add to this impressive lineup, Split Fiction dropped earlier this year as perhaps the studio’s most ambitious project yet.
This two-player couch co-op game lets players experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for two aspiring writers, Zoe and Mio. They are caught in a high-tech simulation designed by a predatory publishing company aiming to steal their ideas. By working together, Mio and Zoe navigate each other’s creative universes—fantasy and sci-fi—exploiting glitches to escape the simulation. The race to control their creative ideas will see friends and partners collaborating to solve puzzles and enjoy the stunning scenes Hazelight has created for players. Along the way, you might even share some laughs.
Split Fiction
- Released
-
March 6, 2025
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Language, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is celebrated as one of the top single-player games today. Yet, it can also be played cooperatively with friends brave enough to explore Faerun together. A co-op campaign in Baldur’s Gate 3 supports up to four players, and with suitable mods, the entire party can enjoy all the companion stories that make Larian Studios’ masterpiece so compelling. And if players are experienced enough, they may even want to try their hand at Honour Mode for the best chances at survival.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a perfect title to pick up for a group that is interested in a story with a bit of a heftier bite. The stakes are perilous, the mystery of the Absolute takes the party down winding roads, and every companion has a different way of approaching a problem. Yet, those great unknowns are what make the 2023 Game of the Year such a special treat. Whether it’s your first time being infected with a mind flayer tadpole or the tenth time you’ve restarted Act 1, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a quintessential gaming experience that I cannot recommend enough, and it’s even better with friends.
Baldur’s Gate 3
9/10
- Released
-
August 3, 2023
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Engine
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Divinity 4.0
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