On 1st October 2025 the Xbox Microsoft blog completely redesigned the Game Pass offering. New names, updated prices and additional content mark an important transitional phase for the service, but not without user controversy.
The historical packs have given way to new titles:
- Core becomes Essential, with more games included.
- Standard becomes Premium, with cloud gaming and PC titles.
- Ultimate remains the flagship offering, but with tweaks to content and cost.
- PC Game Pass also undergoes similar changes.
Subscriptions have undergone a clear price increase:
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Essential: £8.99 a month, whereas it was previously around £6.99 a month
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Premium: £12.99 a month, unchanged
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Ultimate: £26.99 a month while it was previously £17.99 a month
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PC Game Pass at £14.99/month, whereas it was £9.99/month before
To justify the new prices, Microsoft has stated:
- A wider library with hundreds of additional games.
- Improvements to cloud gaming (up to 1440p).
- The inclusion of Ubisoft+ Classics in the premium plans.
- Digital bonuses and rewards up to $100 per year.
User reactions have not been positive. The most criticised increase is that of the Ultimate plan (from €17.99 to €26.99), considered disproportionate. Many users said that at that price, it’s better to buy individual games, especially if the library isn’t fully utilised. Several long-time subscribers have immediately cancelled their subscription: some sites even reported a “crash” of the Xbox platform due to too many cancellations. Existing users have been “transferred” to the new plans without the option to choose. Some have complained about communication confusion: it wasn’t clear from the start what changed between the various subscriptions, and this has caused disorientation. Also, some claim that not everyone plays dozens of titles per month: for those who use Game Pass only for 2-3 important games a year, the new price is considered unaffordable.
So, the Game Pass remains central to Xbox’s strategy, but the community’s discontent highlights how fragile the balance between price and perceived value is. It will be crucial to observe over the coming months whether users adapt to the new conditions or whether cancellations continue to rise. The prevailing impression is that the service is now only advantageous for those who consume a large volume of games, while the “average” player no longer derives the same benefit. Some players fear that Game Pass could “distort” the video game industry, pushing studios to produce games designed for subscription rather than direct sale. There is a sense that third-party developers may earn less, risking a decline in the quality or variety of their output. Moreover, some fear that, in the long term, Microsoft may raise prices further once dependence on the service is entrenched.
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