Microsoft's Xbox division has announced a significant price reduction for its Game Pass subscription service, marking a dramatic reversal just six months after implementing steep increases. However, the company revealed that new Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on day one for most subscribers.
Game Pass Ultimate, the premium tier, will now cost £16.99 monthly in the UK—down from £22.99—while PC Game Pass drops from £13.49 to £10.99. Similar reductions apply in other regions. This comes after Xbox faced intense criticism for raising prices by over 50% earlier this year, prompting many users to threaten cancellation.
"The big losers from this cut are those who subscribe to Game Pass for a month or two to play the latest Call of Duty, and then leave," said Christopher Dring, editor of The Game Business. "These gamers now either have to be patient, or buy the game in full."
The policy shift means new Call of Duty releases, including the recently launched Black Ops 7, will only reach the Game Pass library approximately one year after their initial launch. While existing Call of Duty titles remain accessible, the delay represents a significant departure from Xbox's previous commitment to day-one availability for major first-party games.
Reaction from the gaming community has been mixed. Some applaud the price reduction as Xbox "listening to feedback," while others express concern about potential future removals from the service. The move follows a leaked internal memo from new Xbox boss Asha Sharma, who acknowledged the service had "become too expensive for players."
Industry analysts suggest the price cut reflects Microsoft's struggle to rebuild trust with gamers after recent controversies, including layoffs, project cancellations, and the decision to publish formerly exclusive titles on competing platforms.
Business professor Joost van Dreunen commented, "Under Sharma, Xbox is more likely to behave like a scaled platform business, monetizing audience attention rather than just access to content."
For casual gamers like streamer Chantelle Parker, known online as Chantelle Plays, the price reduction represents a "big win." She noted, "It's a lot more accessible to a lot more people. People just couldn't afford to be paying that much per month for this library of games."
While the Ultimate tier remains 35% more expensive than two years ago, the price reduction stands in stark contrast to trends across the subscription industry, where services like Netflix continue to implement regular increases.