When something seems too extraordinary to be real, it often doesn’t hold up for long. This sentiment perfectly encapsulates the original buzz surrounding Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. At the launch of the Xbox Series X/S, the service seemed like an unbeatable deal. For just ten bucks a month, subscribers had access to an expansive library, including day-one releases of Microsoft’s own titles.
Over time, prices did creep up, coinciding with wide-reaching financial challenges post-covid. By 2023, the cost for the console’s Game Pass was raised to $11, and the Game Pass Ultimate, which includes PC games, hit $16.99. Still, many considered this a fair offer, especially as the increase was just shy of keeping up with inflation, despite whispers about Microsoft’s massive $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Then, 2024 rolled around and delivered a shock. In July, the price of Game Pass Ultimate surged from $17 to $20, a hefty 18% jump, now clearly surpassing inflation rates. Worse still, the $11 console-only tier was scrapped in favor of a new option, Game Pass Standard, which no longer included day-one game releases and was priced at $15. Yes, nearly a 50% increase for a lesser service.
The fallout? For those relying on Game Pass for its full library and those coveted day-one Microsoft releases, costs effectively skyrocketed from $11 to $20 monthly. This time, the monumental Activision Blizzard deal seemed undeniably influential.
By 2024, Game Pass had transformed from a remarkable bargain into a pricey commitment, leaving users forking out $240 annually—with no annual discount in sight. It’s a far cry from the deal it once was, and that’s a real bummer. – John Walker
