Updated
Updated · Eurogamer.net · Jul 7
Microsoft's Game Pass Falls to 30 Million, Missing 77 Million 2026 Goal
Updated
Updated · Eurogamer.net · Jul 7

Microsoft's Game Pass Falls to 30 Million, Missing 77 Million 2026 Goal

3 articles · Updated · Eurogamer.net · Jul 7

Summary

  • 30 million Game Pass subscribers left Microsoft about 4 million below its 2024 tally and far short of the 77 million target it had set for July 2026.
  • A nearly 50% price increase last year drove millions of cancellations, and Microsoft later concluded the day-one addition of Call of Duty had made the service too expensive.
  • April changes under new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma cut Game Pass prices and ended day-one launches for new Call of Duty titles, which now arrive a year after release.
  • Sharma again pointed to weak Game Pass growth in a memo tied to Microsoft's decision to cut 3,200 Xbox jobs, underscoring pressure on its subscription strategy.
  • The setback also sharpens a wider debate over game subscriptions, with Sony favoring a back-catalog model for PS Plus instead of putting major new releases in on day one.

Insights

With Call of Duty gone from day-one access, can a lower price save Xbox Game Pass from its subscriber exodus?
Is Microsoft's pivot from console sales to cloud gaming a brilliant recovery or a desperate last stand for the Xbox brand?
Has the 'Netflix for games' model hit its ceiling, proving gamers still prefer to own their favorite titles?