Xbox Game Pass Just Got Cheaper But No More Day-1 Access to Call of Duty
Days after a memo surfaced by Microsoft's new boss of Xbox, Asha Sharma, saying that Game Pass "has become too expensive for players," Microsoft has issued a round of price cuts affecting the top subscription tier and also PC Game Pass. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now costs $22.99 per month, down from $29.99, while PC Game Pass dropped to $13.99 per month, down from $16.49.
In the same breadth, Microsoft also announced that new Call of Duty games will no longer be available on Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass at launch, effectively ending the era of day-one access to one of the subscription service's biggest draws. Instead, new Call of Duty releases will be added to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass during the following holiday season after launch, which amounts to around a yearlong wait.
On the bright side for Call of Duty fans, existing titles will remain available, as the change only impacts future releases.
"Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will continue to have access to hundreds of games on Xbox console and PC including current Call of Duty titles, in-game benefits, online console multiplayer, unlimited Xbox Cloud Gaming, and major day one releases," Microsoft states in a blog post.
Reversing course on day-one access to Call of Duty titles is certainly a curious one. Microsoft brought Call of Duty to Game Pass starting with Blacks Ops 6 around 9 months after finalizing its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Going forward, it will be interesting to see what effect the new pricing and loss of day-one access for a halo franchise has on the subscription service.
The new pricing, by the way, amounts to a 23.34% cheaper subscription fee for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and 17.66% cheaper for PC Game Pass. However, both tiers are still more expensive than they were before Microsoft raised prices back in October 2025. Before the round of price hikes, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ran $19.99 per month and PC Game Pass was $11.99 per month.
"Our players cover a wide breadth of geographies, preferences, and tastes, so while there isn’t a single model that’s best for everyone, this change responds to a lot of feedback we’ve gotten so far," Microsoft says.
Microsoft also says it will "continue to listen and learn."
