Microsoft reportedly plans Game Pass pricing changes after calling it too expensive

Microsoft may be reworking Xbox Game Pass pricing again. In an internal memo obtained by The Verge, Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma reportedly said the subscription service has “become too expensive for players” and needs “a better value equation.”

According to the memo, Microsoft wants to turn Game Pass into a more flexible system over time. Sharma reportedly said that shift will take time as the company tests different options, so it doesn’t sound like an immediate overhaul is locked in yet.

The report matters because Game Pass already went through a major price hike last year, with some tiers increasing by as much as 50%. At the time, Microsoft said the changes were meant to add value and give players more choice across the different plans.

Microsoft later softened some of those increases in a handful of markets. Existing customers on auto-renewing subscriptions in Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Poland, and India were allowed to keep their current pricing. That protection only applied as long as they stayed subscribed. If they canceled and came back later, they’d be moved to the newer rate.

For now, there are no new prices, dates, or plan details attached to this reported change. What is clear is that Microsoft appears to be acknowledging the backlash around cost, and that more Game Pass adjustments are likely on the way.