Xbox Game Pass price cut, Call of Duty delayed

Microsoft has announced a price reduction for its Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. The cost of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has been lowered from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, while PC Game Pass now drops from $16.49 to $13.99 monthly. These new prices take effect right away.

At the same time, the company confirmed a significant change regarding future Call of Duty titles. Upcoming entries in the series will no longer be available on Game Pass on release day. Instead, they will be added to the service roughly a year later, during the following holiday season. This adjustment does not affect Call of Duty games that are already included in any Game Pass tier.

Microsoft explained that the decision reflects feedback from a diverse player base with varying preferences and expectations. The company emphasized that there is no single subscription model that suits everyone, and it plans to keep adapting based on user input moving forward.

The move follows concerns that Game Pass had become too expensive, prompting discussions within Xbox leadership about improving the value offered to subscribers. Reports previously indicated that executives were already considering removing day-one access to Call of Duty as part of these changes.

The pricing update comes shortly after leadership changes within Xbox, with new management stepping in after Phil Spencer’s retirement in February. The adjustment appears aimed at rebuilding trust among players after last year’s steep 50% increase in the price of Game Pass Ultimate.

With the new pricing, even players who choose to buy the next Call of Duty title at a likely $69.99 would still spend less overall compared to maintaining the previous Game Pass Ultimate subscription cost over the past six months.

In addition, Microsoft recently revealed the second batch of titles arriving on Xbox Game Pass for April.