If you haven’t heard, gather round, for I am about to tell you all a scary story. In an ever-changing world, one where subscription models are normalized and prices increase everywhere, Xbox, a martyr of gaming, stays silent and unchanging. Egg and beef prices rise rapidly, gas is over three dollars nationally. Meanwhile, Xbox is a safe haven for gamers looking to escape the real world for an unbeatable price. This all changed on the first of October with a 50% price increase! The horrors!
Obviously, that first paragraph is a little bit for fun, but it has some validity in truth. Yes, Xbox raised the price of the fabled Gamepass from $20/month to $30/month. They attempted to justify this change by adding Fortnite’s Crew Pass (which doesn’t even start this month) and Ubisoft+, which already had most games included in the Gamepass already. I, for one of many, canceled my subscription in protest. Many others have already done the same. While this might not bring the price back down to $20, it shows that us gamers have the power. Hopefully through this price increase, Microsoft will lose profits and understand they cannot control the market.
This is now the second price increase in just 14 months. In 2017, gamers could enjoy Gamepass at one set monthly price of $16.99, allowing them to play unlimited time on games on the pass. In July of 2024, the price was increased to $19.99, which sparked controversy but nothing to this recent anger. Now, again, on October 1st, Xbox announced the plan to raise the price to $29.99/month.
Xbox has fallen victim to the “subscription model” phase of capitalism. Now, instead of the one Gamepass subscription model, they have added more defined tiers which allow gamers different things in different tiers. I was already eyeing canceling my subscription, but this sealed the nail in the coffin for me, as it did many others. Xbox Game Pass Essential will start at $9.99 and offer the same things as the old “Core” model. The next tier is “Premium”, which was the previous “Standard” at $14.99/month, and the Ultimate will start at $29.99.
If you’re with me, and if you’re with gamers all around the United States (and even world, perhaps), then cancel your Xbox Gamepass subscription. Show them that we have the power.