Microsoft To Game Pass Changes: “Provide Them With More Of What They’re Asking For”

Recently, a wave of changes are underway for Xbox Game Pass. The original Core, Standard, Ultimate tiers are being restructured to Essential, Premium, and Ultimate. Many of the changes injects new additions especially to the Ultimate option including a new $29.99 price tag. But with the price roughly doubling, offering Fortnite Crew is not enough for users to stay subscribed. Users are hoping for Microsoft to respond similar to its Xbox Live doctrine back in 2021.

Thus far, Microsoft does not appear to be stepping back from this decision. Even on the official Game Pass website, the page to cancel subscriptions was facing massive queues & crashes following the new breaking. The same day as the announcement, Microsoft even dismantled the option to redeem Xbox Rewards for Xbox Game Pass as well that only put salt in the wound.

Now following the response online, director of gaming and platform communications Dustin Blackwell has expressed that the decision is to abet for growing costs, but that the change was to align with the demand from its consumers as well. “It’s something we don’t take lightly, and we’re listening to the feedback of players and the community to try to provide them with more of what they’re asking for.”

Blackwell adds: “There is also unlimited cloud gaming, which is new to Essential and Premium subscribers.” Previously, Xbox Insiders for both the previous Core & Standard subscriptions were met with Xbox Cloud Streaming access that was originally ties to Ultimate. Blackwell goes on to explain the added value of the new Ultimate tier: “With Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft Plus Classics, those combined add about $28 a month in value to Ultimate subscribers.”

He continues: “We’re also now giving access to more than 75 day one releases each year. That’s a 50 percent increase over the day one titles we provided last year.” On the matter of PC Game Pass, Blackwell explained to The Verge: “The only change happening for PC Game Pass subscribers is that they won’t be getting Ubisoft Plus Classics, but they’ll be getting about 50 additional Ubisoft titles across PC Game Pass.”

The topic on growing costs also met a response with: “This last year alone we’ve made our largest investment in Game Pass so far, signing deals with more than 150 partners to expand the catalog over time […] We understand price increases are never fun for anybody, but we’re trying to reinforce by adding more value to these plans as well.”

Are you behind the new adjustments for Xbox Game Pass?

Source: The Verge