Game Over Xbox Game Pass — the one-size-fits-all plan has destroyed what made it great

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Here at Windows Central, we’ve been discussing the recent announcement of a 50% price increase for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – and it was a big surprise, even for seasoned gamers. It really came out of nowhere!

We all had different reactions: Jez wondered about the future of Microsoft’s plans, Brendan thought PC Game Pass was a great value, and Jen questioned whether Game Pass was worth the cost for her personally.

I generally prefer to express things with genuine feeling, or at least that’s how I felt when I began writing this yesterday. I thought it would be best to wait a day to fully understand what happened and look at it with a fresh, maybe even optimistic, perspective. But then I wondered, what was the point of waiting?

I previously argued that the main purpose of Xbox was simply to deliver Game Pass. However, recent changes have made me reconsider that view. Now, I believe the Xbox Series consoles are actually a poor platform for using Game Pass.

Think about that for a second. The Xbox Series X and S are the worst places to play Xbox Game Pass.

I’ve realized I’ve been spending too much time defending Xbox and its services. I often find myself arguing that Game Pass is actually profitable, even though a lot of people disagree. I also keep pointing out that owning games isn’t the be-all and end-all, and I wouldn’t replay most of the games I try through Game Pass anyway. Honestly, Game Pass lets me discover and play games I wouldn’t even try otherwise.

I’m ready to be finished with this. I honestly don’t understand their strategy. Whether the price hike is to make up for lower Call of Duty sales (apparently around $300 million), the inclusion of Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+, or the promise of 75 games available from the start, I’ve just lost interest.

Microsoft, it’s time to go back to the roots of what made Game Pass great.

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

A 50% price increase for a service that doesn’t offer much value, especially since it combines different options into one, is really hard to accept. What they likely hoped would fix everything is instead causing a major problem, and I suspect it will lead to the loss of thousands, possibly millions, of customers.

By making all their best features exclusive to the most expensive plan, they’ve frustrated customers who want more flexibility or a simpler option.

Many Game Pass Ultimate subscribers would likely be interested in adding Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ for an extra $30 a month. While Ubisoft+ offers full games, it’s debatable whether people would pay that much just for a free-to-play addition like Fortnite Crew.

Someone likely thought offering a small boost for an extra ten dollars – essentially getting twenty dollars worth of service – would be appealing. However, it’s unclear what real savings this actually provides. It’s unlikely anyone seriously playing these new games on day one is *also* paying for a Fortnite Crew subscription just to get extra benefits.

Unless you’re a professional gamer, it’s unlikely you’re getting your money’s worth from all these services. That’s why it’s strange they don’t offer more options, like a higher tier with access to new games from day one, or an extra add-on for Game Pass.

It really feels like this change hurts the people who genuinely enjoyed Game Pass. It was a great deal – a way to play lots of fantastic games, including new releases, without spending a fortune. It genuinely made gaming more accessible and enjoyable for so many of us, and now that’s being taken away.

I understand it’s not a complete removal of the service, but the fifty percent price increase makes it unaffordable for many. It’s even worse in Brazil, where the price has doubled!

They’ve stopped offering the service to its loyal customers – those who enjoyed relaxing at home, whether on the couch or in their office, and playing games on their consoles. It’s a real loss for people who genuinely loved it.

Game Pass used to be a more affordable way for people to enjoy gaming, but now the price has gone up. While the PC version is better now, we’re focusing on the original Xbox console version, where Game Pass first became popular.

If you wanted access to games from day one and a huge library of titles with top-notch streaming, you could have gotten it all for just seventeen dollars fourteen months ago. Now, even though the service was already making money, they’ve decided to add services people didn’t request and are increasing the price by another ten dollars.

To make matters worse, just hours before the price increase was announced, reports surfaced that Sarah Bond had shared with the press that Game Pass was already profitable, bringing in $5 billion. This news has unfortunately strengthened the arguments of those who doubted its success.

I think this price hike is driven by wanting to make more money, not because it’s actually needed. They’ve added extra features to Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+, costing around $20, while claiming they’ll also offer more new games and better streaming – all for just $10 extra. Doesn’t that extra stuff actually cost *more* than the price increase itself? If you disagree, can you explain that?

Let’s get back to the main point: who is this level of service designed for? Why aren’t the Fortnite Crew, Call of Duty, and Ubisoft+ subscriptions treated as separate options?

To make matters worse, they began their announcement video by saying, “We listened to your feedback.” But whose feedback are they talking about? They need to share this feedback and the data that supposedly led them to completely change their business plan – a change that seems to have gone terribly wrong.

“We heard your feedback.” Whose damn feedback did you hear?

Honestly, I can tell you with confidence that there’s absolutely no demand for this. I’ve been following the gaming community for years, and there’s never been a significant group – not even a small one – clamoring to pay $30 for features like these. It’s just not something gamers have been asking for.

I’d prefer a variety of add-on options at different price points, or even separate subscription levels altogether. I’d even be okay with them removing games like Call of Duty, Fortnite Crew, and Ubisoft+ if it meant keeping the overall price around $20. Right now, the current setup forces us to pay $30 for everything, even if we don’t want all of it.

As an analyst, I’m strongly suggesting a shift in strategy. If maintaining affordable day-one game access means removing certain titles, I believe it’s a worthwhile trade-off. Specifically, if removing Call of Duty can address the reported $300 million loss, I see that as a necessary step. I’m confident many subscribers would prioritize a more affordable service over having access to that single title, and I’m not alone in feeling that way.

For the last ten years, Microsoft has consistently made progress, only to be followed by frustrating setbacks. It’s a pattern that seems almost unbelievable, and some might even wonder if artificial intelligence is influencing their choices.

Profits before anything else

Microsoft has been heavily investing in AI, and it’s now a major driver of their business goals. As Jez Corden pointed out, this focus on AI has likely led to cuts in other areas, such as developer teams, as the company tries to recoup its significant $80 billion investment.

Xbox is increasingly being treated like any other profit-focused part of Microsoft, similar to products like Office, Copilot, and Teams. This shift has led to significant pushback from gamers who dislike the changes being made.

Over the past few years, I’ve rarely been so consistently frustrated by a company, and that’s saying something considering I’ve witnessed all of Ubisoft’s infamous E3 presentations.

Satya Nadella’s push for digital currency, even if it felt like a misguided attempt at a futuristic movie sequel, has really upset Xbox fans. It’s rare to see such widespread criticism – even experts at Windows Central and many Xbox content creators are completely united in their disapproval.

They might eventually offer something useful to the service, which could justify this decision in the future. However, they’ve once again acted in a way that’s confusing and premature – well before it makes logical sense.

Even if more major games are added to the service in the future, is this price increase likely to be the final one? Considering the company has already raised prices three times in just two years, it seems unlikely they’re finished with increases.

I’ve heard the theory that they’re intentionally raising prices to lose customers, effectively trimming the fat of the service. But if that were true, it wouldn’t make sense for them to be investing so much in new collaborations with other companies, would it? They clearly think this strategy will pay off, and honestly, for once, I’m rooting for them to be wrong.

Considering the reported drop in Call of Duty sales, that outcome seems even more likely. However, I’d prefer they simply take the game down rather than increase the annual subscription price by $120, especially since Call of Duty only costs $70 to buy.

An end to a Game Pass era

I’ve asked about this before, but I’m still curious how the meeting went. I’d like to know who seemed enthusiastic and supportive – who was actively agreeing that this was a good plan and we should move forward with it?

As a researcher, I’ve been considering their strategy, and if they anticipated this level of negative reaction, I’m left wondering what their ultimate goal is. Do they really think enough dedicated players will accept the $30 monthly fee, ignore the loss of discounts on downloadable content, and stay engaged with perks nobody actually asked for? It seems like a risky gamble, and I’m trying to understand if they believe it will pay off in the long run.

Microsoft needs to be more upfront with its plans. Announcing major changes suddenly, followed by vague promises of future benefits, isn’t working. It feels like being told to accept something difficult with only a weak assurance that it will eventually be worth it.

All you’ve done is slap us a bunch and told us it’ll be worth it.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from friends – mostly through Discord and text – about Game Pass. They’re confused about the recent price increase, with some asking if it’s actually happening and others wondering if Microsoft might change its mind. Several have also asked me how to cancel their subscriptions.

It seems a lot of people are trying to figure out how to cancel their Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, judging by the huge number of Google searches on the topic. It’s probably a popular search on Bing too, which must be an interesting statistic for Microsoft to see.

Look, Xbox, as a huge fan, I’m really worried. Things aren’t great right now, and Game Pass just isn’t what it used to be. Please, cut back on the unnecessary stuff, bring back the amazing value we all loved, and save Game Pass before it’s too late. I’m afraid if you don’t act soon, we’ll lose something truly special.

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2025-10-04 15:42