Xbox CEO called Game Pass 'too expensive for players' in a leaked memo
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Anna Washenko
2026-04-13
Xbox's new chief exec, Asha Sharma, has only been in charge for a few months but things already seem like they might be changing for the better. Or at the very least, they might be getting cheaper. The Verge reported that the new Xbox CEO wrote a memo to employees addressing the current pricing of the Game Pass subscription service.
"Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox. It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one," Sharma allegedly 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."
After Microsoft upped the price for Game Pass twice within 15 months, many of us certainly felt that the service had gotten too costly to keep. Xbox is still offering a wide range of titles on Game Pass; the April update is adding indies like Hades 2 and new Double Fine project Kiln alongside AAA hits like the remake of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The Verge's sources suggested that the addition of the CoD franchise might have been a factor in some of the Game Pass price increases, since Microsoft would lose out on revenue by making the latest entries in the series available under the subscription.
It's too early to say whether this memo from Sharma means Xbox is on the brink of a resurgence. And there are changes the company could make, like adding ever more complicated tiers, that would further hamper interest and uptake of Game Pass. But acknowledging the problem, even internally, is refreshing to see after so many baffling moves from Xbox in recent years.
deepfriedbrain
Apr 21, 01:04 PM
Seems fine to me. elite I gave it away. it's an okay game.
botanical_dream
Apr 21, 11:44 AM
i painted it. Have you played this?~ This is exactly what I wanted.%
dataRaccoon
Apr 21, 09:54 AM
^:P live and let live Tutorials are too short [deleted]
blueChip
Apr 21, 08:44 AM
Could be awesome. 🌈 sheesh sup
lazyBot9000
Apr 21, 06:34 AM
elite co-op is great.
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