Microsoft’s recent decision to raise the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by 50% has generated significant backlash among gamers, with the monthly fee jumping from $19.99 to $29.99 in the U.S., adding an extra $120 annually for subscribers. Following the announcement, a survey of 10,000 IGN readers revealed that nearly 45% of respondents expressed no interest in subscribing to Game Pass, while just under 30% indicated they would continue with the Ultimate plan despite the hike.
To counterbalance the price increase, Microsoft announced enhancements to the Game Pass Ultimate subscription, including a rise in day one game releases to 75 each year, as well as the introduction of Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics into the package. Subscribers will also benefit from improved streaming quality through Xbox Cloud Gaming, which has transitioned out of beta, promising better performance and shorter wait times.
Starting from October 1 for new users and November 4 for existing subscribers, the revised pricing structure is as follows: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now costs $29.99, Xbox Game Pass Premium remains at $14.99, Xbox Game Pass Essential stays at $9.99, and PC Game Pass has increased from $11.99 to $16.49. Alongside the price changes, more than 45 new games were added to the Game Pass library, including popular titles like Hogwarts Legacy.
Despite the expanded offerings, many gamers are reassessing the value of their subscriptions. Comments from IGN readers reflect a divide: while some users have already canceled their memberships, citing the new costs as excessive, others maintain that the value remains intact due to access to multiple games at once. For example, one user calculated that even with the price increase, their savings on day one releases would outweigh the new subscription cost.
One positive aspect noted by some subscribers is the inclusion of Fortnite Crew, which aligns with their current subscriptions. This could reduce the overall expenditure for players who were already investing in multiple gaming services.
Realizing the potential financial impact, some gamers have engaged in a tactic known as subscription stacking to secure the previous pricing before the change takes full effect. Retailers like GameStop have also publicly opted to maintain the $19.99 price point for Game Pass Ultimate through in-store and online sales, despite Microsoft’s price adjustment, providing alternatives for concerned customers.
Microsoft’s move to increase the subscription fee appears to reflect a strategy to enhance the value of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate amid concerns from dedicated gamers. Time will reveal whether players embrace the new pricing in light of the expanded benefits or whether the loyalty to the service begins to wane in response to the new cost structure. The ongoing discussions among the gaming community underscore the balance of perceived value against cost in the rapidly evolving gaming subscription landscape.