Microsoft says its recent Xbox Game Pass price cut is already showing positive results. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said the lower prices are “helping move Xbox in the right direction.” In April 2026, Microsoft reduced Game Pass Ultimate from $29.99 to $22.99 per month and PC Game Pass from $16.49 to $13.99 per month. Microsoft made the changes to attract more users and make Game Pass more affordable after many gamers complained about earlier price increases. However, a big change is that new Call of Duty games will no longer come to Game Pass on day one. Players may need to wait about a year after release before those games are added.

Xbox has reportedly canceled its planned Game Pass Family Plan. The subscription would have allowed up to four users to share access to the full Game Pass library at a discounted rate. It was tested in countries including Ireland and Colombia but was ultimately dropped after EA strongly opposed the shared library concept and its impact on game sales.

Several upcoming games have reportedly appeared in the Xbox Game Pass “Coming Soon” section ahead of the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7. The titles include: -Clockwork Revolution -Fable -Tropico 7 -Witchbrook -Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy -There Are No Ghosts At The Grand Armatus All of the games are listed with TBA release dates and are expected to launch day one on Game Pass.

Wuthering Waves officially arrives on XBOX on July 10th (UTC+8)! Wishlist the game today and get ready to embark on your adventure across Solaris on XBOX. Wishlist now: XBOX Game Pass members can also claim exclusive in-game rewards after Wuthering Waves' official launch on XBOX, including the exclusive "Paths and Possibilities" Sigil! Learn more about the XBOX Game Pass rewards here: #WutheringWaves# #WutheringWavesXBOX#

Xbox and Discord have expanded their partnership, giving Discord Nitro subscribers a starter edition of Xbox Game Pass where available. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will gain Discord Nitro perks starting later in May 2026, including 250 monthly Orbs, a 1.2x bonus on Orbs from quests, and automatic discounts in the Discord shop.

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Thomas Mahler, CEO of Moon Studios (Ori and the Blind Forest, No Rest for the Wicked), believes Xbox Game Pass could have been much more successful if Microsoft had released more major hit games. Mahler said the problem wasn’t the Game Pass model itself, but the lack of games that made players excited to subscribe. He said Xbox needed “products that make gamers literally salivate.” He also said that great games come from talented developers, not just famous franchises. “Great games are not made by IP. They’re made by people,” Mahler said, adding, “Bet on those people—not just IP.” According to Mahler, the solution is simple: “Ship better games than your competition. That’s it.”

Forza Horizon 6 is off to a huge launch. According to analyst firm Alinea Analytics, the game sold an estimated 4.9 million copies in its first week and generated more than $325 million in gross revenue, despite being available day one on Xbox Game Pass. >Around 2.8 million copies were sold on Steam. >Roughly 2.1 million copies were sold across Xbox console, PC, and cloud. >More than 3 million additional players accessed the game through Game Pass instead of buying it outright. Analyst Rhys Elliott says Game Pass likely reduced direct sales because many players who otherwise might have purchased the game simply played it through their subscription. The service helped push total player counts above 6 million almost immediately. Premium Edition upgrades and early-access purchases were strong, with about 1.7 million players buying into early access.