Xbox Studio Leaders Detest Game Pass as Service Reaches 30 Million Members
Updated
Updated · Pure Xbox · Jul 20
Xbox Studio Leaders Detest Game Pass as Service Reaches 30 Million Members
3 articles · Updated · Pure Xbox · Jul 20
Summary
Jason Schreier said on the Triple Click podcast that many Xbox studio leaders “absolutely detest” Game Pass, arguing it has destroyed the value of their games and devalued games more broadly.
Day-one inclusion is the main flashpoint: a former Xbox studio lead cited by Windows Central said launching games into the service immediately signals to consumers that those titles lack inherent market value.
The criticism surfaced after Microsoft removed day-one Call of Duty releases from the Game Pass Ultimate tier to lower the monthly price, fueling speculation other first-party day-one launches could also be scaled back.
Game Pass still generates billions of dollars for Microsoft and has about 30 million members, leaving Xbox balancing subscription revenue against internal concerns that the model may hurt game sales and pricing power.