Microsoft announced that it would be making changes to Xbox Game Pass, including the subscription service's price as well as how day one releases are done.
The company confirmed the details of the changes, including the closure of the $10.99 per month Xbox Game Pass that is available for consoles. This comes as it would continue for existing members until the end of their subscription.
Xbox Game Pass Changes
(Photo : ROBYN BECK, AFP, Getty Images / Screenshot taken from official website)
With this, new players who are looking for a basic tier package will have to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Standard, which will launch in September 2024. The new tier will cost $14.99 per month and will include Xbox Live Gold for multiplayer gaming.
It will also include access to Xbox's back catalog and access to first-party releases on day one. The latter means that console players who are looking to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 via Xbox Game Pass when the game launches on Oct. 25, 2024, will have to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, according to Eurogamer.
After the changes are implemented, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will remain the only subscription tier that will offer access to Xbox Cloud Gaming. It is also getting a price increase from $16.99 to $19.99 per month.
But for PC players, things are a little bit different as PC Game Pass will continue to get access to day one releases. However, it is also having its price increased from $9.99 per month to $11.99 per month.
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Another change that was announced is that Xbox Game Pass Core, which was previously known as Xbox Live Gold, will have a price increase from $59.99 per year to $74.99 per year. However, the monthly cost of this particular tier will remain at $9.99.
The new changes will most likely affect Ultimate subscribers as they make up the vast majority of Xbox Game Pass subscribers. They also come more than a year after the last price increases for the service which were about $1 to $2 per month, said The Verge.
Price Increases
Some people have speculated that the decision was made so that Microsoft could make as much profit in the lead-up to the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 later this year. All of the price changes mean that there will be a total $6 increase per month in order to gain access to day one releases.
The news follows the general pattern of internet-centric subscription services when they launch as something that is almost too good to be true. They later decline gradually into something that is a bit more pragmatic or in some cases, downright nasty, according to PCGamer.
The changes also come as Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard last year in a $69 billion deal. Previously, the company was also asked about whether or not it was planning to make changes to Xbox Game Pass following the reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
At the time, Microsoft said that the latest entry in the franchise would be "playable on Xbox and PC for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass for Console members" at launch.
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