Xbox Cuts Game Pass Prices as Call of Duty Departs the Day One Lineup
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Microsoft has lowered Xbox Game Pass subscription prices, but removed future Call of Duty games from day-one release availability, following leadership changes under new CEO Asha Sharma.
Microsoft is rolling back subscription costs for Xbox Game Pass. According to a report by Eurogamer, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is dropping from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, while PC Game Pass is going down from $16.49 to $13.99 per month. Similar price cuts apply to UK subscribers as well. However, this financial relief comes with a major catch for blockbuster fans. Future Call of Duty titles will no longer launch on the service on day one. Instead, new entries in the franchise will join the catalog during the following holiday season, roughly a year after their initial release. Previously added Call of Duty games remain untouched by this policy shift.
This adjustment arrives on the heels of a turbulent period for the platform. Just six months ago, subscribers absorbed a painful price hike alongside scaled-back Microsoft Rewards benefits. The current pivot aligns closely with recent internal shifts under new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who took over the role in February following Phil Spencer's retirement. Sharma reportedly acknowledged in an internal memo that the subscription model had become too expensive for players and required a stronger value equation. Today's announcement marks the first major step in reshaping how the ecosystem operates.
Beyond subscription pricing, Sharma is actively steering the brand toward a new era. The controversial marketing pushes of the recent past are out, and conversations are already turning toward next-generation hardware codenamed Project Helix. For players who rely on Game Pass as their primary gateway to new releases, losing day-one access to gaming's biggest annual shooter is a heavy trade-off for a lower monthly bill. It forces a new calculation for cross-platform gamers who manage multiple subscriptions and digital economies, proving once again that the subscription landscape is still very much in flux.
Tags: Xbox, Game Pass, Call of Duty, Microsoft, Industry News
Original article: Eurogamer