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6d ago

Xbox Game Pass Overhaul Raises Ultimate to $29.99 as Tiers Are Reworked

The overhaul triggered heavy cancellation traffic, drawing criticism from subscribers.

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Visitors walk past the Xbox booth at the Gamescom video games trade fair in Cologne, western Germany on August 22, 2024. According to organisers, around 1400 exhibitors from 64 countries will be presenting their products during the fair running until August 25, 2024. (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP) (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Effective immediately, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate jumps 50% to $29.99 per month and PC Game Pass rises nearly 40% to $16.49 in the U.S.
  • Ultimate adds Ubisoft+ Classics and, on November 18, Fortnite Crew, expands to 400+ titles with 75+ day-one releases per year, and gets cloud streaming upgrades including 1440p and priority access.
  • Core is now Essential and Standard becomes Premium, both retaining U.S. prices but gaining larger libraries, unlimited cloud access, and PC game support; Premium adds first-party Xbox titles within a year of launch, excluding Call of Duty.
  • Microsoft changed Microsoft Rewards so points can no longer be redeemed directly for Game Pass, requiring gift card redemptions; earn caps are now up to $100 for Ultimate, $50 for Premium, and $25 for Essential.
  • Reports say cancellation pages were overloaded after the announcement, regional prices vary with Canada’s Ultimate rising to CA$33.99, and 45 games were added at rollout including Hogwarts Legacy and multiple Assassin’s Creed titles.