Xbox Reduces Game Pass Prices Amid Changes to Call of Duty Access
Xbox has announced a reduction in the prices of its subscription service Game Pass, just six months after increasing them by over 50%. However, the Microsoft-owned company also revealed that new Call of Duty titles will only be available on the more premium Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass "about a year" after their initial release.
The announcement received mixed reactions from fans. Some praised Xbox for "listening to feedback" regarding pricing, while others expressed concerns about a "trust issue" over the potential removal of other first-party games in the future.
This move represents a shift from other subscription services, many of which, including Game Pass itself, have faced criticism for frequent monthly price hikes. Game Pass offers players access to a vault of Xbox games for a fixed monthly fee.
A recent leaked internal memo from Xbox's new head, Asha Sharma, obtained by The Verge, acknowledged that the service had "become too expensive for players."
In the UK, prices for Game Pass Ultimate have dropped from £22.99 to £16.99 per month, and PC Game Pass from £13.49 to £10.99 per month, with regional variations applying.
Six months prior, the announcement of a price increase exceeding 50% sparked anger among fans, many of whom threatened to cancel their subscriptions.
Christopher Dring, editor of The Game Business, commented that the price reduction reflects the "challenge" Microsoft faces in regaining consumer trust in the Xbox brand.
Like many companies in the gaming industry, Xbox has experienced waves of layoffs and project cancellations in recent years. Additionally, a 2024 announcement that Xbox would begin publishing formerly exclusive titles on other consoles was met with further fan backlash.
Following the leaked memo from Sharma, business professor Joost van Dreunen suggested that Xbox is likely to "start relying much more heavily on advertising" rather than subscription services or content sales for revenue. He added that under Sharma, who assumed her role in February, Xbox is expected to "behave like a scaled platform business, monetizing audience attention rather than just access to content."
Sharma, formerly an AI executive at Microsoft, stated her mission is to "understand what makes this work and protect it." She also highlighted the recent announcement of a new Xbox console, code-named Project Helix, as evidence of the "commitment to the return of Xbox."
Subscription Price Adjustments and Market Context
Dring noted that it is unusual for subscription services to reduce prices, although the Ultimate subscription tier remains "still 35% more than it was two years ago." Netflix, for example, increased its subscription prices in the UK in February, following earlier hikes in the US, Canada, Argentina, and Portugal.
Dring further explained,
"The big losers from this cut are those who to Game Pass for a month or two to play the latest Call of Duty, and then leave."
He added,
"These gamers now either have to be patient, or buy the game in full."
Existing Call of Duty titles already available in the Game Pass library will remain accessible to rs.
Call of Duty fan Chantelle Parker, known online as Chantelle Plays, expressed that she was not concerned about the removal of new Call of Duty editions from Game Pass. She viewed the price cut as a "big win" for casual gamers who no longer have to subsidize the inclusion of Call of Duty.
She told beat,
"I feel like Call of Duty fans like me will also just buy the game separately anyway."
Chantelle, like some other Xbox users, was surprised by the price reduction amid a general trend of rising costs. She said,
"It's a lot more accessible to a lot more people. So that is good in my eyes… people just couldn't afford to be paying that much per month for this library of games."
Industry Trends and Future Outlook
The price adjustment and policy changes come amid broader industry challenges, including economic pressures and evolving business models. Xbox's strategic shifts under Sharma's leadership indicate a focus on balancing accessibility with sustainable revenue streams.
Additional reporting by Georgia Levy-Collins.
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