For the past few years, Microsoft has bought massive video game publishers, developers included, to enrich their Game Pass subscription service lineup. First, Phil Spencer and the Xbox gang acquired ZeniMax Media (Bethesda) in 2021 for $7.5 billion. Then, in 2023, Activision-Blizzard toppled for no less than $68.7 billion after years of struggling with UK and US regulatory bodies. Thus, after spending $76.2 billion, it was only a matter of time before Microsoft's gaming division would increase Game Pass prices to start making some of that money back.
Last year, in July 2023, we saw a rise in price for Microsoft's gaming subscription service. The monthly standard Game Pass tier went from 10 to 11 bucks, while the Ultimate version jumped from $15 to $17. PC Game Pass stayed safely at $10. It wasn't a massive increase by any stretch of the imagination, but it was expected, and it was but a taste of things to come.
This September 12, 2024, we're getting another monthly Game Pass price hike and a new tier that won't include day-one titles. First, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will be $20, meaning it's $3 more expensive than the current price and $5 more than two years ago in 2022. Day-one titles are still part of the deal.
PC Game Pass will see a $2 increase in the US, from $10 to $12, but thankfully, it will also retain day-one offerings. This means the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, due to arrive on October 25, 2024, should be included. The price increase differs from country to country depending on the currency, so make sure to check out the official list to spot how much you'll be paying from September onwards. The upcoming Xbox Game Pass Standard that will replace the current "Console" tier will cost $15 and will not feature day-one titles.
Currently, there are over 25 "Racing & Flying" titles on PC Game Pass and over 32 of them on Ultimate, including console. Some of the best include Forza Horizon 5, F1 22, F1 23, Dirt 2.0, Burnout Paradise Remastered, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, LEGO 2K Drive, NFS Unbound and Most Wanted, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered, SnowRunner, Wreckfest, Everspace 2, Car Mechanic Simulator, Microsoft Flight Simulator Standard 40th Anniversary Edition, Starfield, Forza Motorsport, etc.
Photo: Microsoft
Aside from these racing and space titles, more are expected to join the fray in 2024, like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Frostpunk 2, Dead Static Drive, Ghost Bike, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Stalker 2, Star Trucker, Avowed, Bounty Star, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Replaced, and more. Keep in mind that not every 2024-confirmed title will actually get released this year.
In 2023, during the many, many... many leaks from the Microsoft v FTC (Federal Trade Commission) trials, some documents revealed how much the tech giant pays for certain titles on Game Pass. This mainly showed why, in the long term, it was cheaper to buy the whole cow, so to speak.
Grand Theft Auto V, with over 200+ million copies sold, cost between $12 and $15 million per month to keep on Game Pass. Red Dead Redemption 2 was $5 million monthly. Wreckfest 2 was $10-$14 million. Assassin's Creed Mirage cost $100 million, Mortal Kombat 1 was $250 million, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor cost $300 million. It's important to note that the last titles were one-time affairs, not paid per month or year.
While it's understandable that Game Pass Ultimate got a $5 increase in two years, the only question remains about 2025's possible price hike. Is the subscription service on a 5-dollar increase plan every two years?
Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive). Full profile
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