Microsoft Reacts To Xbox Game Pass Rumor That Could Change The Service In A Big Way - GameSpot
They were also right about the names changing from Game Pass Core to Game Pass Essential and Game Pass Standard to Game Pass Premium. Sharma previously said Game Pass was too expensive and that she had big changes in store for it. So far, it’s just Call of Duty that is being “windowed” in Game Pass.
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Microsoft has released a statement in response to a new rumor that claims the company is considering a massive shakeup to Xbox Game Pass in 2027 that would include numerous significant changes.
ResetEra user Slayven, who has accurately reported on unannounced Xbox news before, said the changes could include the bifurcation of Game Pass into two tiers: one with ads and one without. The tier with ads would be $13/month, while Game Pass without ads would cost $20/month, according to the report.
That’s $3/month less than Game Pass Ultimate currently, and the price cut is reportedly reflective of another big change: Microsoft is reportedly removing day-one new releases from Game Pass starting in the February-April window of 2027. The rumor also stated that cloud-streaming access is being taken out of Game Pass, but people can pay for a $6 add-on that gets you 25 hours. Additionally, the report said a Family Plan will be available for an extra $6/month.
Beyond all of this, the report claimed there will be a tier of Game Pass that costs $15/month, and for that, people will get access to select titles in the Game Pass library, along with online multiplayer. Finally, it was reported that Microsoft will also offer a $11/month membership that provides access to online multiplayer alone.
Microsoft responded to the rumor in a statement to GameSpot, originally obtained by Paul Tassi of Forbes.
The statement reads: “We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one.”
Reputable leaker NateTheHate said on ResetEra that Slayven has a track record for accuracy, at least somewhat, so “the individual giving them information clearly has knowledge of some matters.” However, NateTheHate did not corroborate the reporting.
Slayven said on October 1, 2025 that Microsoft was raising the price of Game Pass Ultimate to $25–they were right about an increase, but it actually went up to $30/month. They were also right about the names changing from Game Pass Core to Game Pass Essential and Game Pass Standard to Game Pass Premium. They didn’t get everything right, though, as Slayven said PC Game Pass was being removed, but it wasn’t.
In any event, this latest rumor of a massive Game Pass shakeup should be taken with a grain of salt until Microsoft officially makes an announcement.
While it remains to be seen if this rumor proves accurate, Xbox’s new CEO, Asha Sharma, has already made efforts to shake up Game Pass. One of her first moves after becoming CEO in February 2026 was to cut the price and remove new Call of Duty games from the service when they release. Sharma previously said Game Pass was too expensive and that she had big changes in store for it.
She also alluded to a longer-term vision after the price cuts. “Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around,” she said.
That sounds like exactly what the rumor is suggesting. If the rumor is correct, or even parts of it, the new evolution of Game Pass would offer more options and possibly become cheaper for those who are OK with ads.
On the subject of ads, Microsoft just recently rolled out a test for an ad-supported version of cloud gaming, and it’s not a stretch to imagine this could be expanded in new ways to help Game Pass reach more people by way of lower prices. Not everyone wants this, of course, and Microsoft is sure to face pushback just like other entertainment companies have for their own ad-based tiers of their own subscription services.
With regards to removing day-one releases, Microsoft is already doing this with Call of Duty, as this year’s Modern Warfare 4 won’t be available on the service at launch. Getting access to all of Microsoft’s first-party games at launch as part of Game Pass was previously one of the membership’s top selling points. New Call of Duty games will not come to Game Pass until the following holiday season, so people shouldn’t expect Modern Warfare 4 until late next year.
Sharma has said she is considering a “range of options” for exclusives going forward, including “windowing” some games, and that could mean a lot of things for Game Pass and beyond. One possibility is that certain games are kept out of Game Pass at launch and for a period of time, similar to how movies are only available in theaters at first before coming to digital and streaming. The idea is that this pushes people to pay full price as opposed to getting access to new content as part of their membership right away.
So far, it’s just Call of Duty that is being “windowed” in Game Pass. Minecraft Dungeons II will launch into Game Pass this month, as will Gears of War: E-Day in October. 2027’s Fable will be a day-one release, too, in February 2027.
As for the cloud gaming changes, earlier this month, Microsoft announced that in November, the company will put limits on how many hours per month people can use the service. People can then pay more to unlock more time.
In addition to making Game Pass more affordable, Sharma might look to partner with Netflix on some kind of bundle offering for Game Pass. Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said he and Sharma have “kicked around ideas” for how Netflix and Xbox could work together on subscription bundles. Nothing has been confirmed, but Peters said he “wouldn’t eliminate any possibilities.”
Speaking generally about Game Pass, Sharma has said one of her ambitions is to “fortify” the service with “clear differentiation and sustainable economics.”
Sharma is also trying to get Xbox as a platform and company back into a healthy place, and that has meant drastic cuts of late involving layoffs, studio divestitures, and game cancellations. In regards to growth, Sharma recently oversaw the signing of Hideo Kojima for his new game, Physint, which was previously in the works at PlayStation. The game was reportedly over budget and late, which contributed to PlayStation’s decision to part ways with Kojima.
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