Microsoft is shaking up its gaming subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, by delivering a mix of financial relief and disappointing news for millions of gamers. The company has announced that it is reducing the price of the top-tier subscription as well as the PC version. The change comes days after Xbox CEO Asha Sharma that the service had become “too expensive”.
What is changing
The good news is that prices are dropping. Microsoft is slashing the monthly cost of its top-tier plans. Effective immediately, the cost of the two of the popular Game Pass tiers is falling significantly, essentially undoing a controversial price hike last October.
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Dropping from $29.99 to $22.99.
- PC Game Pass: Dropping from $16.49 to $13.99.
Microsoft stated that while no single model fits every gamer, this change responds to the “wide breadth of preferences and tastes” across their global community.However, the bad news is that to make these lower prices possible, the company is removing one of its biggest selling points: day-one access to new Call of Duty titles The lower price tag comes at a heavy cost for fans of Activision’s blockbuster shooter franchise. Microsoft has confirmed that new Call of Duty games will no longer launch on Game Pass.Instead, the latest entries in the franchise will only join the Game Pass library during the following holiday season.
Read Microsoft’s full announcement
Starting today, Game Pass Ultimate drops from $29.99 to $22.99 a month. PC Game Pass will also drop from $16.49 to $13.99 a month. Prices may vary by region.Beginning this year, future Call of Duty titles won’t join Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass at launch. New Call of Duty games will be added to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass during the following holiday season (about a year later), while existing Call of Duty titles already in the library will continue to be available.Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will continue to have access to hundreds of games on Xbox console and PC including current Call of Duty titles, in-game benefits, online console multiplayer, and major day one releases. You can find more details on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential, and PC Game Pass plans here, and manage your account here.Our players cover a wide breadth of geographies, preferences, and tastes, so while there isn’t a single model that’s best for everyone, this change responds to a lot of feedback we’ve gotten so far. We’ll continue to listen and learn.Thank you for being a part of the Xbox community.