New Xbox Boss Listens To Fans And Fixes The Pricing For Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

When the news broke that Microsoft would be finding a new boss for its Xbox division, fans were hesitant on the replacement for Phil Spencer. It was announced that Microsoft AI executive Asha Sharma would be taking over. In her statement being inducted into the role, Sharma touted bringing the brand back to its roots. Thus far, she has undone some of the previous leadership’s doings like ending the ‘This Is An Xbox’ campaign earlier in the year.

Additionally, backwards compatibility is also a new focus which the former leaders disbanded roughly half a decade ago too. Plans to unveil the new return of the program is to take place later in 2026. One of the concerns still standing is Xbox Game Pass. The pricing for the service remains at its newest height of $30 a month for Ultimate. In a leaked memo via The Verge, Sharma expressed the price point to be ridiculously high.

“Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around,” she stated in the memo. On Monday, Sharma as well as the team at Xbox announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will now be priced at $22.99. Also, PC Game Pass is also being reduced to $13.99 as well starting today.

“Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will continue to have access to hundreds of games on Xbox console and PC including current Call of Duty titles, in-game benefits, online console multiplayer, unlimited Xbox Cloud Gaming, and major day one releases,” the team wrote. “Our players cover a wide breadth of geographies, preferences, and tastes, so while there isn’t a single model that’s best for everyone, this change responds to a lot of feedback we’ve gotten so far.”

On X, Sharma also stated: “Game Pass Ultimate has become too expensive for too many players. Starting today, we’re dropping the price from $29.99 to $22.99/month. Future Call of Duty titles will no longer join Game Pass Ultimate on day one. They will join this tier the following holiday after launch (about a year later). Current Call of Duty titles will remain available to Ultimate subscribers.”

Noted, Call of Duty future releases will not be included in the subscription moving forward. There have been reports of the service planning to undo the decision after it was reported the financial losses faced with series inclusion for the service. It was understood to be a deficit projected around $300 million annual for Microsoft. You can read the full report by heading here.

Are you surprised by this move from Microsoft?

Source: Xbox Wire