Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass are getting a price drop starting today, but at the cost of removing upcoming Call of Duty titles from their day-one catalog.
Xbox Game Pass Gets Cheaper, But Loses a Major Day-One Perk for Call of Duty Titles
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass Gets Price Drop
Microsoft has just announced a major change to its Game Pass pricing in a press release from Xbox’s official website on April 22 The new subscription prices will see Game Pass Ultimate drop from $29.99 to $22.99 per month. PC Game Pass, which is exclusive to PC users, will also decrease from $16.49 to $13.99.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma posted the news on X (formerly Twitter). She added that Game Pass Ultimate has "become too expensive for too many players" and suggested that a price reduction would help address player concerns about the rising cost of Microsoft’s premier gaming subscription service.
The newly appointed Xbox CEO also assured users that Microsoft and Xbox will "keep learning and evolving Game Pass to better match what matters to players." The post has gained over 4 million views, with users commenting that they are happy about the news and calling it a "W" for Xbox after a tumultuous year marked by layoffs and internal changes.
Subscribers Will Miss Day-One Call of Duty Releases in the Future
In the same Xbox report, new Call of Duty titles will no longer join Xbox Game Pass on day one after
Microsoft assured existing users that the recently released Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will remain available to play, along with in-game benefits such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and online console privileges.
Microsoft assured fans that despite missing its day-one launches for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, subscribers can still access the titles in the online gaming library a year after their launch.
It remains to be seen whether removing Call of Duty titles from its day-one catalog will positively affect the long-term business move for Xbox, especially given that the Call of Duty franchise has sold over 500 million units to date and is now a household name among gamers.
In a previous report by Activision on videogame business site, Gameindustry.biz, the studio plans to shift its strategy with the Call of Duty franchise moving forward, as Black Ops 7, one of its major AAA releases in 2025, reportedly saw weaker sales compared to 2024’s Black Ops 6, which is down by around 50%
Activision has promised fans that despite this change in business model, the next Call of Duty entries will "deliver precisely on what [players] want along with some surprises that push the Franchise and the genre forward."
Xbox Moving Forward
The Game Pass price cut is not the only news Xbox is sharing this week. Forza Horizon 6 from Xbox Games Studios is also set to launch this May 19. It will be available on day one for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, which may add value to the recent price drop for players interested in the open-world racing genre.
Ahead of the announcement regarding the new price, Microsoft revealed a collaboration with IGN for the ID@Xbox Showcase on April 23, featuring potential new reveals and upcoming titles from independent game publishers coming to Xbox.
Sources:
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price Update
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's Statement About the Game Pass Price Drop
Activision to Change Release Strategy for Call of Duty
