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2h ago

Microsoft Revamps Game Pass, Lifts Ultimate to $29.99 as Backlash Builds

A Bloomberg-sourced estimate says putting Call of Duty on the service erased more than $300 million in sales, intensifying doubts about the subscription model after the Activision deal.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 19: Lina Khan speaks onstage during the Fast Company Innovation Festival 2024 at BMCC Tribeca PAC on September 19, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Fast Company)
Another threat to the Microsoft bottom line is the upcoming Battlefield 6.
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Image: Microsoft

Overview

  • Ultimate now costs $29.99 per month with added perks including 1440p cloud streaming, access to roughly 75 day-one releases annually, Ubisoft+ Classic, and Fortnite Crew starting in November.
  • Prices take effect immediately for new sign-ups, with existing customers seeing changes on November 4; PC Game Pass rises to $16.50 while plans are rebranded to Essential, Premium, and Ultimate.
  • Microsoft told Polygon that legacy Xbox Game Pass for Console subscribers who keep auto-renew enabled remain grandfathered at $10.99 with day-one titles, but they cannot rejoin if they cancel.
  • The announcement triggered a wave of cancellations, with reports that Xbox’s unsubscribe system briefly crashed, even as retailers still sell prepaid Ultimate codes at the older $20-per-month rate.
  • Bloomberg reporting cites internal estimates that adding Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to Game Pass cost Microsoft over $300 million in lost sales, with 82% of full-price U.S. launch sales on PlayStation, while analysts question margins and Lina Khan criticizes post-merger price hikes and layoffs.