Game Pass Ultimate just got a price cut to $23 a month

Microsoft has reduced the monthly price of its subscription services. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate drops from $29.99 to $22.99, and PC Game Pass drops from $16.49 to $13.99 effective today. The company announced the change via Xbox Wire. The post also detailed a major shift in how Microsoft handles its biggest first-person shooter franchise.

I remember when Game Pass Ultimate launched back in 2019. It cost $14.99 a month. Microsoft held that line for years before bumping it to $16.99 in 2023, then $19.99 in 2024, and eventually pushing it all the way to $29.99. Seeing a subscription price actually go down in the modern gaming landscape is rare. This cut comes with a massive string attached.

A one-year wait for Call of Duty

Future Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass at launch. Instead, new Call of Duty games will be added to the service approximately one year after their initial release. If a new game launches in the fall, it will hit Game Pass during the following holiday season. Existing Call of Duty titles already in the library will continue to be available. You do not have to worry about losing access to the older campaigns you are currently playing.

The $14 PC tier

PC Game Pass is also getting a price adjustment. It drops from $16.49 down to $13.99 a month. This puts the PC-only tier closer to its historical pricing. When Microsoft first introduced the PC version of the service in 2019, it was heavily discounted in beta before settling at $9.99 for several years. The new $13.99 price point makes it a more competitive option for people who do not own an Xbox Series X or Series S console.

The PC gaming market operates differently than the console space. Steam dominates the ecosystem, and getting players to use the Xbox app on Windows has always been an uphill battle. Lowering the barrier to entry by a few dollars might help Microsoft retain users who only dip in occasionally to play specific indie games.

Filling the pipeline

Call of Duty is taking a step back from day-one releases. Microsoft is still funneling other titles into the service to make up the difference. The sandbox MMORPG Albion Online is making its way to Xbox. It brings its full-loot PvP and player-driven economy to the console ecosystem. The service is also slated to get upcoming 2026 releases like Kiln and Aphelion. Older classics are still cycling through as well. The Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy V is slated to be added to the service on May 5, 2026, offering players a chance to experiment with its excellent 1992 job system.

Balancing the spreadsheet

I have been watching Microsoft try to balance the math on its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard for a while now. Putting a massive annual release like Call of Duty on a subscription service on day one was always a massive gamble. It clearly cannibalized traditional retail sales. By delaying the Game Pass release by a year, Microsoft can still secure those initial $70 purchases from the hardcore multiplayer audience. They can then use the Game Pass drop a year later to revive the player base.

The price changes are live right now. It is a better deal on paper, provided you were not solely keeping your subscription active to play the next multiplayer shooter on launch day.

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