Xbox cuts Game Pass prices but new Call of Duty games will no longer hit the service on day one

Source: Engadget

Xbox Game Pass price cuts

Xbox is cutting the prices of both Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, effective immediately.

• Game Pass Ultimate: now $23 per month (down from $30).
• PC Game Pass: now $14 per month (down from $16.50).

The Xbox team noted in a blog post that prices may vary by region.

Background

In a memo that leaked last week, new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma expressed concern over the high price of Game Pass, stating that it “has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around.” Sharma reiterated this publicly in a post on X.

Earlier this year, Microsoft increased Game Pass Ultimate to $30 per month, a 50 % price hike. It was the second time in 15 months that the company raised the monthly fee, making it an “unjustifiable expense for many” according to some commentators. The PC Game Pass subscription also rose by $4.50 per month before being reduced now.

“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.” – Xbox team

Impact on Call of Duty titles

The price reduction comes with a significant trade‑off: new Call of Duty games will no longer be available on Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass on day one. They will be added to the service roughly a year later, typically during the following holiday season. This makes Call of Duty the only first‑party Xbox franchise that won’t hit Game Pass at launch.

Call of Duty is a major factor behind Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Historically, Xbox and PC players could access new Call of Duty releases via Game Pass on day one, while PlayStation users had to purchase the games at full price. (There is still no sign of a Call of Duty release on Nintendo Switch or Switch 2.)

Future possibilities

Rumors suggest Microsoft might create a higher‑level Game Pass tier—or an add‑on—that includes day‑one Call of Duty titles, but no official announcement has been made yet.