Published on April 21, 2026
Xbox has announced significant price reductions for its Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscriptions, effective immediately. Game Pass Ultimate will now cost $23 per month, down from $30, and PC Game Pass drops to $14 from $16.50. This decision comes as the company attempts to respond to previous concerns over affordability within the gaming community.
However, this price cut carries a notable caveat. Microsoft’s new CEO of Gaming, Asha Sharma, confirmed that new Call of Duty titles will no longer launch on Game Pass on day one. Instead, players can expect these popular games to arrive on the service the following holiday season, a significant change for fans anticipating immediate access.
Prior to this announcement, Xbox had raised the price of Game Pass Ultimate to $30 in October 2025, marking a steep increase over 15 months. The decision to lower prices now seems to aim at restoring value for subscribers while hinting at a broader evolution of the Game Pass service. Xbox acknowledged that ongoing feedback shaped this move, promising to remain flexible.
This shift highlights a strategic effort to monetize one of the gaming industry’s largest franchises. inclusion of Call of Duty titles, Xbox appears to seek additional revenue from a franchise that was central to its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. While speculation exists about a potential higher-tier subscription for day-one access, no official announcements have clarified the future path of Game Pass yet.
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