Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price Cut Excludes Call of Duty
▼ Summary
– Microsoft is reducing the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $22.99 and PC Game Pass to $13.99 per month.
– This price drop is partly because new Call of Duty games will no longer join the service at launch, but about a year later.
– All Game Pass tiers will continue to include access to Xbox Cloud Gaming.
– Microsoft states the change responds to player feedback about cost and acknowledges no single model works for everyone.
– The article notes that adding Call of Duty to Game Pass was previously seen as a mistake, as it undermined the franchise’s direct sales revenue.
Following a candid admission from Xbox leadership that its subscription service had grown too costly, Microsoft has implemented a significant price reduction for its flagship gaming plans. Starting today, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now costs $22.99 per month, a notable decrease from its previous $29.99 price point. Similarly, PC Game Pass has been lowered to $13.99 monthly, down from $16.49. This strategic rollback comes less than a year after a major price hike and is directly linked to a major shift in content strategy.
A key driver behind this new pricing model is the altered release schedule for the Call of Duty franchise. Microsoft has confirmed that future, day-one entries in the blockbuster series will no longer be included in either Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass upon launch. Instead, new Call of Duty titles will join the subscription libraries during the holiday season following their release, roughly a year later. All existing Call of Duty games currently available in the Game Pass catalog will remain accessible to subscribers.
This policy reversal underscores the complex economics of integrating a top-tier, annualized franchise into a flat-rate subscription. Internal debates at Microsoft reportedly questioned whether adding new Call of Duty releases to Game Pass would ultimately undermine the massive standalone sales revenue the series reliably generates. The decision to now delay its inclusion suggests the initial move may have negatively impacted the service’s financial sustainability, prompting this corrective action.
The rest of the Game Pass ecosystem remains stable. All tiers, including Ultimate, Premium, and Essential, continue to offer access to Xbox Cloud Gaming. Microsoft framed the changes as a direct response to community feedback, acknowledging the diverse preferences of its global player base. The company stated it does not believe a single model works for everyone but is committed to listening and adapting its offerings based on what it learns from its audience.
(Source: The Verge)
