Xbox Game Pass has received an immediate £6 price reduction, but the move comes with a significant drawback for fans of the Call of Duty franchise.
Price Drop Details
Less than six months after Xbox Game Pass Ultimate saw a price hike to its most expensive level ever, new CEO Asha Sharma has mandated a price cut, effective immediately. In 2025, Microsoft increased the price of the Ultimate tier to £22.99 per month. Sharma acknowledged that this was 'too expensive' for most gamers, resulting in a £6 reduction. The new price for UK subscribers is now £16.99 per month. However, this is still £2 more than the cost prior to the October 2025 increase.
Sharma announced the change on X, stating, 'Game Pass Ultimate has become too expensive for too many players. Starting today, we’re dropping the price from $29.99 to $22.99/month.'
The Major Catch
As with many business decisions, the price cut comes with repercussions. Subscribers who joined Game Pass primarily to access the latest Call of Duty games at launch will be disappointed. Future Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on the service on day one. Instead, they will be added approximately one year after their initial release. This means players who wish to play at launch will need to purchase the game separately for around £60.
Sharma explained, 'Future Call of Duty titles will no longer join Game Pass Ultimate on day one. They will join this tier the following holiday after launch (about a year later). Current Call of Duty titles will remain available to Ultimate subscribers.'
Background and Impact
Microsoft first introduced new Call of Duty games to Game Pass following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023. Only Black Ops 6 and 7 were released day-and-date on the service, alongside historic entries in the series. While official figures are not entirely clear, it is believed that this strategy cost Xbox upwards of $300 million per year due to reduced Call of Duty sales. Microsoft has not commented on whether revenue from Game Pass and associated spending compensated for this loss, but the recent strategy shift suggests a reassessment.
Anecdotally, many players, including the author, had switched to relying on Game Pass for Call of Duty rather than purchasing the game at launch. The 2026 Call of Duty entry, rumoured to be another Modern Warfare title from Infinity Ward, will not be available on Game Pass until 2027.
Will you be resubscribing to Xbox Game Pass following the price reduction?
