50% Price Hike Sends Xbox Fans Running — Game Pass Cancellations Flood In
Microsoft increased the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $19.99 to $29.99 per month, a rise of about 50%. The company also raised prices on hardware this year, and several online posts from long-time users show many subscribers reacted by cancelling or questioning value.
What changed for Game Pass Ultimate
Microsoft announced that Game Pass Ultimate now costs $29.99 per month, up from $19.99. At this tier, subscribers keep access to hundreds of games, day-one releases from Xbox-published studios, and bundled perks such as Fortnite Crew, EA Play, and Ubisoft+ Classics.
Fortnite Crew alone is listed at $11.99 per month, which Microsoft noted is one of the included perks for Ultimate subscribers. Meanwhile, Microsoft has said previously that the subscription model is profitable; more details on the company’s statement are available on GamesRadar.
Fan reaction and cancellations
After the price change was announced, multiple users on social platforms said they cancelled subscriptions or planned to. One post read: “Dear @Xbox , you’ve helped me make an easy decision to end my time playing Xbox after 20 plus years.” Another said, “Well done Xbox, you ruined what was one of the best deals in gaming,” and a separate user wrote, “I’ve used Xbox as my main gaming platform for over 10 years,” followed by “You lost me today.”
On Reddit’s r/Xbox community, several comments echoed cancellations and disappointment. One user posted, “Just canceled my sub,” while another wrote, “Microsoft is delusional.” A further comment stated, “I just canceled my ultimate sub,” and a longer post noted, “I’m a 15-year Xbox fan and customer. I was already questioning the value a lot but kept it because of their gatekeeping online play at $10/mo so why not pay the extra $10 for Game Pass … it feels good to let go.”
That main Reddit thread documenting reactions can be found here.
Some brands also referenced the change on X. For example, GameStop posted about it on their account.
Game Pass: $29.99 every month. Own nothing.
GameStop: Buy once. Own forever.
Math isn’t that hard. https://t.co/ThUMcLZh6t pic.twitter.com/8WCrnS3kck
— GameStop (@gamestop) October 1, 2025
Microsoft-related posts about how to cancel Game Pass saw high traffic; one cancellation page on X was reported as overloaded after the announcement.
The page to cancel Game Pass subscriptions is broken already, incredible https://t.co/qTWLQRWRBs pic.twitter.com/yZjRCMGosk
— Sam (@_sunday_rain_) October 1, 2025
Other recent Microsoft price changes
Alongside the Game Pass increase, Microsoft raised the retail price of the Xbox Series X twice during the year; the high-end model is now listed at $800. Separately, the ROG Xbox Ally handheld was announced with a launch date of October 16 and a price of $1,000.
Platforms and exclusives
At Sony’s September State of Play, Microsoft Flight Simulator was announced for PlayStation platforms. The port was noted publicly during the showcase, and coverage of the announcement is available from news outlets. Meanwhile, the Game Pass model continues to offer day-one releases for Xbox-published games under the subscription.
Observers have also pointed to historical coverage about how Game Pass was shared and recommended by users; one retrospective piece on that phenomenon was published on Forbes.
What’s clear
Factually, the price increase is in effect and multiple public posts show some long-time users cancelling or questioning value. Microsoft has previously stated the subscription is profitable. The company’s broader hardware and software pricing moves this year are public and include higher retail prices for consoles and the announced handheld price.
