- Microsoft is officially dropping the monthly prices for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
- To make this price cut possible, future Call of Duty games will no longer launch day one on the service.
- Call of Duty games will arrive on Xbox Game Pass about a year after release.
For months, the gaming community has been bracing their wallets against the rising tide of subscription fees, wondering if the “best value in gaming” was losing its edge. In a surprising move today, Microsoft revealed massive price cuts across its Xbox Game Pass tiers. But the Xbox Game Pass price cut comes at a heavy sacrifice, and Call of Duty fans really aren’t going to like it. Here is everything you need to know.
Xbox Game Pass Slashes Prices with a Catch for Call of Duty Release
As per the new Game Pass strategy, future Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on the service on launch day. Spearheaded by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, the pivot addresses mounting subscriber backlash over the service’s rising costs. As per the new Xbox strategy, Game Pass prices are as follows:
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: Dropping from $29.99 to $22.99 per month.
- PC Game Pass: Dropping from $16.49 to $13.99 per month.
Under this model, upcoming Call of Duty releases will not hit Xbox Game Pass at launch. Instead, Microsoft confirmed that new entries will be added to the subscription tiers during the following holiday season. This means you can enjoy a CoD game after a one-year delay, unless you purchase it. Existing Call of Duty titles currently in the Xbox Game Pass library will remain intact and playable for all members.
This pricing overhaul appears to be the first major step in Xbox CEO Asha Sharma’s broader roadmap leading up to the launch of Project Helix. By stabilizing the subscription model’s profitability now, Xbox is laying sustainable financial groundwork for its highly anticipated console-PC hybrid ecosystem.
When Xbox increased the price last October, right as Call of Duty joined the day-one lineup, it sparked widespread subscriber backlash. Reverting to a traditional retail release window for Call of Duty makes undeniable financial sense for Microsoft.
As a standalone game available on almost all platforms, Call of Duty has a chance to make more money, given its $69.99+ price. Launching it day one on a subscription service actively cannibalizes those guaranteed premium sales.
So, will you trade the Call of Duty games’ day-one release for the Xbox Game Pass price cuts? Let us know in the comments.
