XBOX's Game Pass price hike led to millions of lost subscriptions, executive reveals

Xbox has confirmed that its Game Pass service lost “millions” of subscribers after a 50% price hike in October 2025.

The details:

• Speaking at The Game Business Live, Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball revealed that the company “shed millions of subscribers over the span of a few months” following the price increase. The jump from $19.99 to $29.99 a month for Game Pass Ultimate, and additional increases to other tiers, sparked widespread backlash, with many highlighting that most users won’t benefit from many of the pricey additions.

• Specific figures were not shared regarding the loss of users, but the price hike came as a result of Microsoft’s decision to bundle subscription services such as Fortnite Crew and brand-new Call of Duty titles with the Ultimate tier of Game Pass.
• Before the hike, Game Pass had at least 34 million members as of February 2024 and was reportedly nearing $5 billion in annual worldwide revenue by mid‑2025.
• A leaked memo and later comments from new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said Game Pass had become “too expensive for players,” and this was followed by the company’s decision to drop the price down to $22.99 a month. In order to do so, Xbox pulled day-one Call of Duty launches from the service but maintained that the franchise would still come to Game Pass a year later.