Microsoft has hiked the price of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription by 50 percent while rebranding some of the other Game Pass plans. The new Game Pass Ultimate subscription will begin at $29.99 per month, a $10 hike from the previous price of $19.99 per month.
Microsoft is also adding 75 day-one releases a year, which includes many anticipated upcoming games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, High on Life 2, Keeper, Ninja Gaiden 4, and The Outer Worlds 2.
While justifying the price hike in a blog post, Microsoft said, “Ultimate has been upgraded for players who want the best of everything. We’re rolling out our most expansive upgrade yet, including more day-one games than ever before, Fortnite Crew & Ubisoft+ Classics for the first time ever, enhanced Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming quality up to 1440p, Rewards with Xbox, and more. Now players can have it all.”
Meanwhile, Microsoft has discontinued the PC Game Pass, while the company is also rebranding the Game Pass Core plan to Game Pass Essential and the standard Game Pass to Premium.
Game Pass Essential is priced at $10 per month, the same as the Core plan, but now also includes access to unlimited cloud gaming, online multiplayer, in-game benefits, and a catalog of 50+ games which are playable on both console and PC.
Similarly, Game Pass Premium also continues to be at $15 per month and now offers access to over 200 games on Xbox console, PC, and other supported devices. Xbox Premium subscribers will also get in-game bonuses for games like League of Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X while also offering new Xbox-published games within a year of their launch excluding Call of Duty titles.
“As we continue to evolve Xbox Game Pass, we’re focused on delivering more value, more benefits, and more great games across every plan. Whether you play on console, PC, cloud – or all three – there’s a Game Pass option designed to fit your playstyle,” Microsoft added.
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