Key Takeaways
1. Microsoft announced a 50% price increase for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Plan, raising the monthly fee from $19.99 to $29.99 starting October 1, 2025.
2. The announcement led to a surge in cancellations, causing the Xbox website to crash and making it difficult for users to access the cancellation page.
3. Microsoft introduced three new tiers for the Game Pass service, with changes to the Core and Standard plans, and the Ultimate plan aiming for more flexibility and value.
4. The Game Pass library was expanded with 95 new games, including titles from the Assassin’s Creed series, while the Premium tier’s price increased from $11.99 to $14.99.
5. The price hikes reflect a market shift towards subscription services amid declining hardware sales, with significant increases for PC Game Pass subscribers in certain regions.
Microsoft has recently stirred up a lot of controversy with its announcement about the Xbox Game Pass Subscription service on October 1, 2025. The company revealed a 50% price hike for its premium Game Pass Ultimate Plan, pushing the monthly fee from $19.99 to $29.99. This sudden change has left many Game Pass subscribers feeling upset and frustrated.
Chaos on the Cancellation Page
The backlash was immediate, with numerous subscribers rushing to cancel their Game Pass subscriptions on the Xbox website. The high traffic caused the site to crash, making it difficult for many users to access the cancellation page for hours. Sam Comrie from Pocket Tactics was among the first to point out the issue on X, saying, “The page to cancel Game Pass subscriptions is broken already, incredible.”
On social media, players expressed their anger, as they encountered messages stating they could not cancel their subscriptions and were advised to reach out to customer service. Despite this, many managed to get through after several tries. Some users shared they had to wait over 30 minutes for the cancellation page to finally load. By late afternoon, the website seemed to stabilize, enabling most players to cancel their subscriptions successfully.
New Tiers and Game Library Expansion
In addition to the price increase, Microsoft has restructured the service by introducing three new tiers. The Core plan has been renamed to Essential, the Standard plan is now called Premium, and the Ultimate plan retains its original name but aims to offer “more flexibility, choice and value.”
Moreover, the Game Pass library has been expanded, adding 95 new games, which includes 14 titles from the Assassin’s Creed series via Ubisoft+ Classics. The Essential tier remains the most basic option, giving access to select games and cloud streaming at its previous price of $9.99.
The Premium tier has seen a price increase from $11.99 to $14.99, now allowing access to PC games in addition to console titles. Furthermore, Premium subscribers will earn $50 worth of Microsoft Rewards points annually, while Ultimate users will receive $100, and Essential members will gain $25 worth of points each year.
Price Hikes and Market Trends
PC Game Pass subscribers will experience a significant price increase of 40% to 80% in certain regions, bringing their monthly fee to $16.49 without any extras. This move comes as Xbox seems to be shifting its focus more towards the Game Pass subscription service, especially as hardware sales decline. Major retailers like Walmart and Best Buy are cutting back on console sales, while Costco has announced it will no longer sell Xbox hardware in both the U.S. and U.K.
While the Game Pass service has been described as “profitable,” generating about $5 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year, this figure does not consider the costs associated with game development. The next few months will determine if the Game Pass can maintain its revenue growth and subscriber base or if it will see a significant drop.
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