Attention all gamers! Brace yourselves for some big news from the world of Xbox. Microsoft is shaking things up with a price hike coming to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in September. But that’s not all – they’re also introducing a new “standard” subscription option without day-one access to first-party Xbox games.
Starting September 12th, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will see a $3 increase to $19.99 a month. And PC Game Pass subscribers aren’t immune to the changes, as they’ll be moving from $9.99 to $11.99 per month, still with access to those day-one titles. Curious how this affects you? Check out Microsoft’s full list of worldwide price changes.
These price increases are happening right before Microsoft plans to drop some major titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 onto Game Pass. Ultimate subscribers, who are the majority of Game Pass users, will be feeling the impact. This move comes just over a year after the last round of price hikes.
But wait, there’s more! Alongside the price changes, Microsoft is introducing a new Xbox Game Pass Standard subscription for $14.99 a month. New users can opt for this option without day-one titles. And existing Xbox Game Pass for console subscribers, don’t worry – you can continue with your current plan.
Excitingly, the new standard option also includes online console multiplayer access, a feature previously missing from the console version. Existing subscribers will have a grace period to stack up to 13 months from September 18th, so no need to panic about losing your existing benefits.
Rumors of these changes have been swirling for months, especially with the possibility of adding Call of Duty to the mix. This price hike was expected to help cover the cost of bringing the legendary series to Game Pass, and now it’s all becoming a reality. Stay tuned for more updates as Microsoft continues to evolve the Game Pass experience.
