Microsoft removes Call of Duty from Game Pass, lowers subscription pricing
Source: Ars Technica
Microsoft cuts Game Pass prices, removes launch‑day Call of Duty access
Microsoft announced Tuesday that subscribers to its Game Pass service will see significant price reductions starting today. However, those subscribers will also lose included day‑one access to Activision’s popular Call of Duty series from now on.
In the US, the price of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription will drop to $22.99 a month (down from $29.99, roughly 23 %). The more limited PC Game Pass will drop to $13.99 a month (from $16.49, roughly 22 %). Going forward, neither subscription will include launch‑day access to new Call of Duty games, which will not be available on Game Pass until the following holiday season. Previous Call of Duty titles will remain available to Game Pass subscribers.
“Game Pass Ultimate has become too expensive for too many players,” recently named Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said in a social media post accompanying the announcement, echoing sentiments shared in an employee memo leaked to The Verge last week. “We’ll keep learning and evolving Game Pass to better match what matters to players.”
— Ars Technica article | Tweet | The Verge memo
Splitting the baby
The price of a Game Pass subscription has risen steadily since the service launched as a $10 per month collection of about 100 console games in early 2017. This includes a 50 % price increase for Game Pass Ultimate last October. Over time, the offerings in a Game Pass Ultimate subscription have expanded to include access to over 500 console games, Ubisoft+ Classics, EA Play subscriptions, downloadable PC games, streamable cloud games, and console multiplayer services that previously required a separate Xbox Live Gold subscription.