Xbox Game Pass has gotten cheaper, and I’m not complaining about the pivot that comes with it
If there’s one thing the gaming industry loves more than hype cycles, it’s a good price move. And right now, Xbox Game Pass is in the middle of nowhere. Microsoft has officially cut prices across all categories of Game Pass, making the service easier on the wallet at a time when subscription fatigue is all too real. But, as always, there is a twist. And it’s big.
A price drop that comes with a twist
Let’s get the numbers out of the way first, because they are really compelling. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has dropped from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, and PC Game Pass now costs $13.99 instead of $16.49. That’s not pocket change. Over a year, that’s a significant savings, especially for players who throw in multiple subscriptions.
But here’s the catch. New entries from Call of Duty no longer start day one on the service. Instead, they will come much later, about a year after release. Just to be clear, older Call of Duty titles aren’t going anywhere, so the back catalog remains intact. Gone is instant access to one of the year’s biggest game releases, which, let’s be honest, was a big part of Game Pass’s versatility.
Society is… conflicted
The reaction? It’s quite a mess as expected. There are plenty of players who are truly free. You see, not everyone subscribes to Game Pass for Call of Duty, and for those users, this feels like getting a discount without losing anything meaningful. If the COD was not part of the weekly swing, the lower price is an outright win.
Then there is the other side. For many gamers, Game Pass built its reputation on the concept of “pay once, play everything on day one.” Losing a flagship franchise on that promise feels like a fundamental rupture. It’s not just about Call of Duty; it’s about what this could mean going forward.
Then comes the third wave of takeovers, arguably the most interesting. Some fans are now asking if Microsoft should go ahead and start cutting other bundled items like EA Play or Fortnite Crew to lower prices even more.
Thinking is easy. If removing one expensive piece lowers costs, why not customize everything?
Why Microsoft draws the line here
This is where the conversation turns from emotional to practical. Call of Duty isn’t just another title in the catalog. It’s an annual blockbuster with a massive, loyal player base that often buys the game regardless of the subscription. That creates an unusual price mismatch. Even if the players were going to pay for it anyway, even if they didn’t care about it in the first place.
Xbox contributed more than $300 million to Call of Duty sales on consoles and PCs last year – Bloomberg
From Microsoft’s point of view, that makes it the most expensive install with limited upside. Worse, it potentially eats into direct sales, turning what should be a revenue driver into a cost center. And while some fans want more cuts, like removing EA Play, it’s not that simple. Game Pass thrives on being an ecosystem for everything. Start combining too much, and it is dangerous to turn into a separate service, to choose and pay that loses its identity.
As Microsoft is even testing bundled services like Netflix on Game Pass, stripping more benefits will start to back away from its “all in one” cry. At that point, it’s no longer a powerhouse bundle; just a menu with missing items.
The End of “Too Good To Be True”?
For years, Xbox Game Pass felt like a cheat code. Day one AAA games, a huge library, and a price that almost makes no sense. But in the end, the truth was discovered. Keeping a giant like Call of Duty in that mix from day one was always going to be expensive, and more importantly, unsustainable.
And honestly, this change feels like Microsoft is finally acknowledging that. Instead of raising the prices even more, they cut one of the most expensive benefits and made the service easily available again. It’s not perfect, and sure, some fans will miss the old days, but this feels less like a letdown and more like a smart reset. Not as shiny, but more built to last.
