Xbox Game Pass Exodus: Cancellation Page Crashes Amid Backlash Over 50% Price Hike

In a dramatic display of customer frustration, Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass cancellation portal crashed under a tidal wave of traffic, just hours after the company announced a sweeping and substantial price increase for its popular subscription service. The incident, which unfolded on October 1, 2025, has turned a routine business announcement into a public relations firestorm, highlighting the delicate balance between corporate profitability and user loyalty.

The catalyst was Microsoft's official unveiling of a new, rebranded tier structure for Xbox Game Pass. While the company framed the changes as a move to provide "more flexibility, choice and value," subscribers zeroed in on one staggering figure: a 50% price increase for the top-tier Game Pass Ultimate plan, jumping from $19.99 to $29.99 per month.

The backlash was swift and decisive. Thousands of subscribers immediately flocked to the Xbox website to cancel their subscriptions, overwhelming the digital infrastructure. Within hours, the cancellation page became unresponsive for many, displaying errors or failing to load entirely.

"The page to cancel Game Pass subscriptions is broken already, incredible," was how Sam Comrie from Pocket Tactics first broke the news on X, capturing the sentiment of countless frustrated users.

The social media platform X became the de facto support forum, flooded with reports from players who found themselves trapped in a digital loop. Many were met with a message stating they could not cancel online and were instructed to contact customer service instead—a time-consuming prospect that only fueled more anger. One user, @sunday_rain, shared a typical experience, showcasing the error message that prevented them from managing their subscription.

For those who persisted, the process was grueling. Some users reported spending over 30 minutes repeatedly refreshing the page before it finally loaded. By late afternoon, the website appeared to stabilize, allowing the wave of cancellations to proceed, but the damage to user trust was already done.

A New Tiered Structure: What You Need to Know

The chaos overshadowed the detailed restructuring Microsoft had laid out in its official announcement on the Xbox Wire blog. The revamp introduces three new tiers:

Game Pass Essential ($9.99/month): Formerly "Core," this entry-level plan remains at its original price, offering a select library of games and cloud streaming.
Game Pass Premium ($14.99/month): The new name for the "Standard" tier, which sees a price increase from $11.99. It now bundles console and PC game access and includes $50 per year in Microsoft Rewards points.
Game Pass Ultimate ($29.99/month): While its name remains the same, its price has skyrocketed. This plan includes all the benefits of Premium, along with $100 per year in Rewards points.

PC-only subscribers were not spared. The PC Game Pass saw some of the most severe hikes, with costs rising by 40% to 80% in select regions. In the U.S., the price will now be $16.49 monthly, a significant jump for a plan that does not include the perks of the console-focused tiers.

To soften the blow, Microsoft is touting a vastly expanded library, adding 95 new titles, including 14 games from the Assassin’s Creed series via Ubisoft+ Classics. However, for many, the new content wasn't enough to justify the new cost.

The Bigger Picture: A Strategic Pivot Away from Hardware?

This aggressive push on Game Pass comes at a critical time for Xbox's hardware division. Recent reports indicate that major retailers like Walmart and Best Buy are gradually phasing out Xbox consoles from their shelves. In a more definitive move, wholesale giant Costco confirmed it will no longer sell Xbox hardware in the U.S. and U.K., as reported by analysts at GSMGoTech.

This context paints a clear picture: Microsoft is pivoting hard towards its subscription future as console sales falter. While the Game Pass service was recently deemed "profitable," generating over $5 billion in revenue last fiscal year, that figure does not account for the immense costs of game development and acquisitions.

The coming months will be a crucial test. Will the added "value" and expanded library be enough to retain subscribers and attract new ones at a premium price? Or will the combination of a massive price hike and a broken cancellation experience lead to a steep decline in the service that has been the cornerstone of Xbox's strategy for years? For now, the crashed webpage served as a stark, real-time barometer of customer sentiment—and the reading was overwhelmingly negative.