Game Pass Price Hike Sparks Fan Fury and Subscription Cancellations
Microsoft has faced significant backlash following the announcement of price increases to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. Fans have reacted angrily to the news, particularly concerning the most popular tier, which has seen a hike of more than 50%, rising from £14.99 to £22.99 per month.
On social media platforms, reports emerged of numerous fans immediately cancelling their Game Pass subscriptions. Some users even claimed that the service’s cancellation page had crashed due to the sudden surge in visits. A representative from the company has been asked if the reported outage was linked to this spike in cancellation demand.
The New Game Pass Structure
In a blog post detailing the changes, Microsoft confirmed that Game Pass will now be structured into three main tiers:
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Essential (£10 per month): Required for online multiplayer access.
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Premium (£14.99): Offers a wider range of games and perks.
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Ultimate (£22.99): The most expensive tier, granting players access to new games from Microsoft-owned studios on the day of their release, including major series like Call of Duty. These day-one titles can retail for approximately £70 if purchased individually.
As part of this overhaul, blockbuster titles such as Hogwarts Legacy and various Assassin's Creed entries have been added to the service library. Microsoft stated the new system is designed to "offer more flexibility, choice, and value to all players."
Critics Warn of "Anti-Consumer" Move
Not everyone agrees with the company’s assertion of "value." Ed Nightingale, deputy news editor of Eurogamer, notes that while gaming subscription services like Game Pass and Sony's PlayStation Plus have seen growth in users, the dramatic price jump is questionable.
"Games nowadays are just more expensive," Ed says, acknowledging that it is still generally cheaper for consumers to buy a subscription than individual games. However, he raises concerns that the hike risks pricing customers out of the hobby.
"It is a huge price increase," he emphasizes. "They want to be the favourites of gamers but this feels quite anti-consumer by putting the price up. Microsoft are shooting themselves in the foot here."
Despite these reactions, Microsoft has previously insisted that Game Pass operates at a profit, reporting its best-ever year in terms of revenue from subscriptions last year.