Microsoft Is Jacking Up The Price of Xbox Game Pass, New Standard Tier Will Not Feature Day One Releases
Written by djfrosty on July 11, 2024
Source: SOPA Images / Getty / Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass is the best value in gaming, but there is an argument that is seemingly no longer the case after word of price hikes coming.
Spotted on The Verge, Microsoft is doing what many people suspected it would do after finally acquiring Activision/Blizzard/King: raising the price of Xbox Game Pass again in September.
The price of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier will increase, and a new “Standard” tier will be launched, but those subscribers will no longer have access to day-one releases.
The new Standard tier will cost $14.99, give subscribers access to the Game Pass library, and allow them to play games online.
Subscribers to Ultimate are beginning to receive emails about the price increase to $19.99 a month beginning September 12, a $3 jump from $16.99.
PC Game Pass subscribers will also see their subscription price increase from $9.99 to $11.99, but they will still have access to the beloved day-one releases.
The proposed price hikes follow Xbox finally adding Call of Duty games, like the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, to the service, a benefit the company now enjoys after acquiring ABK.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscribers Bear The Brunt of The Hikes
Once again, Ultimate subscribers, who make up more than most Game Pass subscribers, will bear the brunt of these price hikes. This follows a previous hike that raised subscriptions by $1–$2 per month.
Another victim of this change is the Xbox Game Pass for console plan. Those currently under the plan will see their subscriptions continue, but new subscribers cannot select this option.
Subscription stacking, a hack X Console tier subscribers enjoy, has also been capped at 13 months from September 18. Existing stacks will not be affected.
Of course, the news of the price hikes and Xbox pushing subscribers towards the Ultimate tier is spawning reactions on X, formerly Twitter.
You can see those in the gallery below.