Microsoft just raised the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $29.99/month, and fans aren’t happy. Many are canceling, some are calling for a boycott, and even Microsoft’s website is struggling to keep up.
Microsoft officially rolled out the biggest change to Xbox’s Game Pass since it launched, and it’s not going over well. Earlier today, the company announced the massive changes where the subscription has been renamed into three tiers: Essential at $9.99 a month, Premium at $14.99, and Ultimate at $29.99. That Ultimate plan is seeing a 50% price jump from its old $19.99 price tag, and fans aren’t happy.
Under the new system, Essential includes a curated list of around 50 games, online multiplayer, and cloud gaming. Premium unlocks a larger library of about 200 titles, but doesn’t offer day-one Xbox first-party releases; those now land up to a year later. Ultimate is the only tier that keeps day-one access to new Xbox titles, with a library of 400+ games and extras like Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew bundled in.
And now, players feel Microsoft is taking too much away while charging more than ever. And many are already pulling the plug on their subs.
“We all need to join together and boycott hard,” say angry Xbox players over Game Pass price increase
Not long after the announcement, Reddit filled up with posts from players canceling their subs outright. One post on the Xbox Game Pass subreddit that quickly gained traction was titled: “I’m canceling my subscription after the ridiculous price increase and you should do the same!”
The original poster wrote, “Not only [has] PC Game Pass lost the appeal, but the pricing is absurdly high for what it offers. I’d rather get back to sailing and buying on Steam rather than keep paying for this bullshit. Xbox Pay Everywhere.”
One user replied: “Actively doing so,” while another added, “Yup, canceled too.” Someone else chimed in: “Already cancelled it when it went over $16 or so,” and another simply said, “Doing so as soon as I get home from work.”
Some players went further, urging a coordinated boycott. As one person put it: “We all need to join together and boycott hard. Their CEOs don’t need an extra vacation home or extra car.” Others stressed the math: “At $10 a month I didn’t mind it, but $17 a month is really pushing it, I’d rather buy games on sale and own it, I guess.”
Microsoft Website Crashed Amid Mass Game Pass Cancellations
The backlash didn’t stop at words. Players rushing to cancel or downgrade flooded Microsoft’s account system, leaving many reporting errors and crashes.
“Looks like their site is actually having trouble processing subscription changes right now, probably from being overloaded with folks downgrading and canceling,” one user noted. Some described their frustration more vividly. “Why drop new plans [and] not expect the traffic? Scummy business practice,” one commenter said.
Another added, “I’m cancelling mine when I can get on. The kids will be upset, but $30 is too much for me at the moment. It sucks cause it was awesome for a family of gamers.” Others reported that the only way they got changes through was by switching browsers. “[It] only worked for me on Edge,” one person explained.
Between confusion over which tiers include day-one games, anger at the Ultimate price hike, and frustrations with Microsoft’s handling of subscriptions, the Game Pass community feels like it’s at a boiling point. Some are choosing to wait out their prepaid subs before canceling, while others are walking away today.
What do you think? Are you canceling, sticking with Game Pass, or waiting to see how it plays out? Let us know your thoughts.
