In a major move for subscribers, Microsoft drops the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $29.99 per month to $22.99 per month. These changes are effective immediately and include a price reduction for PC users as well.
New Subscription Pricing for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC
The recent price adjustments aim to provide better value across the ecosystem. Along with the console tier, PC Game Pass is also seeing a cost reduction.
Here is a breakdown of the new monthly rates:
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Reduced from $29.99 to $22.99 per month.
- PC Game Pass: Reduced from $16.49 to $13.99 per month.
Changes to Call of Duty Day-One Releases
While the price is decreasing, there is a significant change regarding major franchise releases. New Call of Duty games will no longer be included as day-one releases in either service. Instead, Microsoft stated these titles will be added "during the following holiday season (about a year later)."
Fortunately, any Call of Duty games that are already part of a Game Pass tier remain unaffected by this update. This follows yesterday's announcement regarding the second wave of games arriving on the service this April.
Rebuilding Value Under New Leadership
This strategic shift follows a leaked memo from the new Microsoft Gaming CEO, Asha Sharma. Taking over after Phil Spencer's retirement in February, Sharma previously noted to the Xbox team: "Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation."
The price drop is an attempt to repair trust following last year's 50% price increase for the service. In an official statement, Microsoft emphasized that the change is a response to community input:
"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."
Even if players purchase the next inevitable Call of Duty at a projected $69.99, they will still come out ahead compared to the subscription costs of the past six months.
