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Microsoft Reworks Xbox Game Pass, Raising Ultimate to $29.99 and Renaming Tiers

A Bloomberg report of more than $300 million in lost Call of Duty sales and mounting customer blowback are testing Microsoft’s claim that added perks and streaming upgrades justify the overhaul.

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

  • New pricing is live for new members and takes effect for existing subscribers on November 4, with Core and Standard rebranded to Essential and Premium while Ultimate and PC Game Pass keep their names.
  • Microsoft pitches higher value through 1440p cloud streaming, roughly 75 day‑one releases per year, and forthcoming Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classic benefits for Ultimate.
  • Xbox confirmed that legacy Game Pass for Console subscribers with automatic renewal can continue at $10.99 per month and still receive day‑one titles.
  • Bloomberg reports Microsoft internally estimated forfeiting over $300 million in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 sales by putting it on Game Pass, with about 82% of full‑price U.S. launch sales occurring on PlayStation.
  • Consumer reaction includes cancellation surges and retailers selling prepaid codes at the previous $19.99 Ultimate rate, as Microsoft also replaces DLC discounts with Microsoft Rewards points.