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By Hugh Cameron
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Microsoft has announced major changes to the pricing structure of the Xbox Game Pass, sparking outrage among gamers and reports of widespread subscription cancellations.
On Wednesday, Microsoft introduced three updated Game Pass plans for subscribers: Essential, Premium, and Ultimate. The Essential and Premium tiers replace the Core and Standard passes, respectively, with no change in price.
However, the top-tier Ultimate Game Pass has increased from $19.99 to $29.99 per month, which Microsoft said reflects an “expanded catalog, new partner benefits, and upgraded cloud gaming experience.”
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Newsweek has contacted Microsoft via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Xbox Game Pass has an estimated 37 million subscribers, and the move has already sparked significant backlash online from gamers, with many voicing their intention to cancel subscriptions over the hike.
The change coincides with recent increases in the price for consoles, both Xbox and Sony PlayStation models, while the potential impact of tariffs on hardware costs means that gaming is becoming a more costly hobby for players in the U.S. and worldwide.
What To Know
Last July, Microsoft raised the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $16.99 to $19.99 per month in the U.S., with similar increases in other markets, and the recent 50-percent hike will now see Ultimate subscribers pay an additional $120 annually.
As well as “enhanced Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming quality,” Microsoft said the change will allow subscribers to access an expanded list of titles. The company has already added 45 games to Ultimate, including Hogwarts Legacy, the Assassin’s Creed back catalogue and several Ubisoft games for both console and PC.
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Redditors on the r/gaming forum have already voiced their frustration with the move. One comment, which accrued over two thousand upvotes, wrote: “We're now at the ‘squeeze as much money out of current subscribers’ phase.”
Others on the subreddit and r/XboxGamePass called for a boycott of Xbox Game Pass and said they would be cancelling their subscriptions. As a result, several outlets including USA Today reported on Wednesday that the webpage where users can go to cancel their Game Pass was overloaded and crashed.
What People Are Saying
Microsoft, in its announcement, said: “We know not everyone wants the same thing in their Xbox experience, so we’re evolving Game Pass to offer more flexibility, choice, and value to all players, whether you love day one releases, discovering hidden gems, or playing across multiple devices and screens and across Xbox consoles, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud.”
Dustin Blackwell, director of gaming and platform communications at Microsoft, told The Verge: “What’s new for everyone across all three Xbox Game Pass plans is bigger game libraries, including PC games across each of the plans. There is also unlimited cloud gaming, which is new to Essential and Premium subscribers.”
What Happens Next?
The changes to Xbox Game Pass took effect on Wednesday.
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