Microsoft Increases Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Prices, Adds New Subscription Tier

Microsoft plans to increase the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price to $19.99 per month starting September 12th, up from the current $16.99. At the same time, the company will introduce a new “standard” subscription, priced at $14.99 per month, which excludes day-one access to first-party Xbox games.

PC Game Pass subscribers will also experience a price hike in September, from $9.99 to $11.99 per month, but will retain access to day-one titles. Details on the worldwide price changes are available.

These price increases come as Microsoft plans to add Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and other major titles to Game Pass later this year. The Ultimate tier, which makes up the majority of Game Pass subscribers, last saw a price hike just over a year ago.

The new Xbox Game Pass Standard will launch without day-one titles but will include online console multiplayer access, a feature previously absent in the console-only subscription. Existing Xbox Game Pass for Console subscribers can continue their plans, but new subscriptions to this option will be unavailable from July 10th until the new standard tier launches in the coming months.

Microsoft’s decision to raise prices and introduce a new tier follows a debate around including Call of Duty in the service, and aims to offset the costs of adding Activision’s popular series. The official addition of Call of Duty to Game Pass made the price increase expected.