The new Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma, has reportedly shared a memo with Microsoft employees that stated “Game Pass has become too expensive for players.”
The Verge reported on Sharma’s shift in strategy, sharing details from an internal message sent to employees that it received today. As Game Pass has increased prices for players in recent years, it appears Sharma is looking into the gaming subscription service in hopes of creating “a more flexible system.”
“Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox. It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one,” the memo said. “Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around.”
Xbox Game Pass currently has four plans: Essential, Premium, PC Game Pass, and Ultimate. The benefits and price of each vary, with the primary offering being that subscribers gain access to an ever-evolving library of games to download and play. You can read our full breakdown of the service here. Sharma promised to “go deeper” with the Xbox team about the points shared in her memo next week, but her comments at least suggested that adjustments are in the works. Information included in the memo follows a separate report from late last month that the new CEO was hoping to make Game Pass more affordable.
Meanwhile, The Verge report added that some of the service’s recent price increases are related to Call of Duty’s presence on the service, though it’s unclear if there are any plans to change that. While players may be ready to breathe a sigh of relief if Sharma’s alleged plans come to fruition, there are no details about what shape the potential Game Pass revisions may take.
Shortly after the news that Call of Duty would be joining Game Pass in 2024, Microsoft announced it would raise prices for each of its subscription tiers. More significant price hikes followed around one year later, when the company revealed it would be increasing the cost of its Ultimate tier from $19.99 to a whopping $29.99 a month. While bumped prices for subscription services are nothing new, many felt the changes made in 2025 were particularly aggressive, with some moving to air their frustrations online while others outright canceled their payments altogether.
Microsoft confirmed in October that it would be giving subscribers additional reward points after scrapping a strategy that would have included discounts on some DLC purchases. The service’s most recent additions were revealed last week and include DayZ, FBC: Firebreak, Hades 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
