Topline
Microsoft’s Xbox is slashing the price of Game Pass Ultimate, its most expensive gaming subscription, by $7, partially backing out of a massive price hike it made for the subscription just seven months ago.
Some Xbox Game Pass subscription prices were increased in October.
Photo by Ismail Aslandag/Anadolu via Getty Images
Key Facts
Game Pass Ultimate is dropping from $29.99 to $22.99 a month, while the price of PC Game Pass will drop from $16.49 to $13.99 a month, according to the announcement.
It’s also removing new “Call of Duty” games from being available at launch through Game Pass Ultimate.
New titles from the “Call of Duty” franchise will be added to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass about a year after launch, though existing titles from the franchise already on the subscription services will continue being available.
Xbox acknowledged the backlash to its October price hike that sent Game Pass Ultimate to $29.99 a month, saying “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.”
The partial reversal in subscription prices comes just two months after Asha Sharma was named the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming.
Sharma told employees in an internal memo reported by The Verge this month that Game Pass had become “too expensive for players” and that Microsoft needed “a better value equation.”
What Are Current Xbox Game Pass Prices?
Xbox Game Pass has three tiers for its subscribers. Essential is $9.99 a month, giving players access to over 50 games, while Game Pass Premium is $14.99 a month, offering over 200 games and other perks. Ultimate, now priced at $22.99, offers over 500 games, day one launch titles and a few perks not available in the other tiers. PC Game Pass is separate from Xbox users, offering games on day one and hundreds of PC games for $13.99 a month.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.