Xbox executive attempts to defend controversial Game Pass price increase: “It’s something we don’t take lightly"

Microsoft’s director of gaming and platform communications, Dustin Blackwell, has attempted to defend the company’s recent decision to up the price of Xbox Game Pass by as much as 50%, explaining that users are receiving more content in its revamped structure.

The details:

• Earlier this week, Microsoft announced several price increases for its Game Pass subscription service, with its popular Ultimate tier now priced at $29.99 per month, up from $19.99. This increase comes alongside changes to the plan’s content, with players set to receive more day-one releases as well as access to Fortnite Crew and the Ubisoft+ Classics collection.
• Unsurprisingly, the large jump in price has been met with widespread backlash from the gaming community, which has accused Microsoft of being driven by greed. As a result, many have taken to social media to share that they have canceled their existing subscriptions or are stocking up on prepaid Game Pass gift cards that are still priced at $20.
• Speaking with The Verge, Blackwell stated that price increases are “never fun for anybody” and that the company is currently taking note of community feedback. However, the executive went on to defend the decision, noting the new additions to its catalog, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and the included services. “We’re also now giving access to more than 75 day-one releases each year,” he said. “That’s a 50 percent increase over the day one titles we provided last year. With Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft Plus Classics, those combined add about $28 a month in value to Ultimate subscribers.”