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After months of back-to-back price hikes that left many subscribers questioning the value of their monthly gaming bill, Microsoft has finally delivered some unexpected news: Xbox Game Pass is getting cheaper. But before you rush to resubscribe, there’s a significant trade‑off that might change how you think about the service – especially if you’re a Call of Duty fan.
In a surprising twist, Microsoft announced today that it is lowering the monthly cost of both Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The new pricing brings Ultimate down to $22.99 per month (from $29.99) and PC Game Pass to $13.99 per month (down from $16.49). The move comes just weeks after reports surfaced that the company was re‑evaluating its subscription strategy following growing user frustration over repeated price increases.
According to the official announcement on Xbox’s news site, the price drop is effective immediately for new and existing subscribers. However, the fine print reveals a major change to one of Game Pass’s biggest selling points.
The End of Day‑One Call of Duty on Game Pass
Here’s where the catch comes in. Microsoft has confirmed that future Call of Duty games will no longer launch on Game Pass on day one. Instead, new entries in the blockbuster franchise will arrive on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass roughly a year after their initial release – typically during the following holiday season.
To be clear, existing Call of Duty titles already in the Game Pass library (like Modern Warfare III, Black Ops Cold War, or Vanguard) will remain available. Current subscribers won’t lose access to those. But going forward, if you want to play the next big Call of Duty on launch day, you’ll need to buy it outright or wait a full year for it to hit the subscription service.
For many gamers, day‑one access to Activision’s flagship franchise was the single biggest reason to maintain an Ultimate subscription, especially after Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The promise of getting every new Call of Duty “for free” (as part of your monthly fee) felt like a game‑changer. Now, that promise is being walked back.
Why Microsoft Made the Switch
So why lower the price while removing one of the most valuable perks? Industry analysts point to simple economics. Day‑one Call of Duty launches are enormously expensive for Microsoft – the franchise routinely sells over 25 million copies per release. Putting that on Game Pass would cannibalize millions of full‑price sales, even if it drove subscriber numbers up. By delaying the Game Pass arrival by a year, Microsoft can capture the bulk of launch window sales while still using the game as a long‑term retention tool for the service.
The price drop itself appears to be a goodwill gesture aimed at softening the blow. After raising prices twice in the past two years (first from $14.99 to $16.99 for Core, then the jump to $29.99 for Ultimate), Microsoft clearly heard the backlash. Lowering the monthly cost back to a more digestible $22.99 may help keep casual subscribers on board – even without same‑day Call of Duty.
What This Means for You
If you subscribed to Game Pass Ultimate primarily for day‑one AAA blockbusters like Starfield, Indiana Jones, or Call of Duty, this is a clear downgrade. You’re paying less, but you’re also getting less. On the other hand, if you use Game Pass for its massive back catalog, indie gems, EA Play integration, and cloud gaming features, the lower price might still make sense.
For PC gamers, the $13.99 price point for PC Game Pass is actually quite competitive – especially considering that the service still includes day‑one access to first‑party Xbox titles (like the next Fable or Gears of War) as well as Bethesda and Obsidian games. It’s specifically Call of Duty that has been moved to the delayed window.
The Bigger Picture for Game Pass
This move signals a subtle shift in Microsoft’s subscription strategy. The era of “everything on day one, no questions asked” appears to be over – at least for the most expensive third‑party style franchises. Going forward, Microsoft seems to be tiering its value proposition: smaller and mid‑sized first‑party titles stay day one, while mega‑blockbusters like Call of Duty may be treated differently.
It also raises questions about other Activision franchises. Will the next Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater or Crash Bandicoot also face delays? Microsoft hasn’t said, but for now, only Call of Duty has been singled out.
Final Verdict: Good Deal or Dealbreaker?
If you’re a hardcore Call of Duty player who buys every new entry on launch night, the Game Pass price drop probably doesn’t matter – you were going to buy the game anyway. But if you were relying on Game Pass as your primary way to play Call of Duty without spending $70 every fall, this is a significant loss.
On the bright side, your monthly bill just got lighter. Whether that’s enough to keep you subscribed depends on how much you value everything else Game Pass has to offer. For now, Microsoft is betting that a lower price will keep most users happy – even without the annual Call of Duty rush.
What do you think? Does the price drop make up for losing day‑one Call of Duty, or is this the end of the road for your Game Pass subscription?