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Introduction
The Xbox Game Pass price cut on April 21, 2026, brought both relief and a major trade-off.
Microsoft dropped the monthly cost of Game Pass Ultimate from $29.99 to $22.99. PC Game Pass also fell from $16.49 to $13.99 per month. New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma framed this as a necessary correction after a 50% price hike six months earlier backfired. But the lower price came with a catch: new Call of Duty games will no longer arrive on Game Pass day one. Instead, they will join the library about a year later.
This post breaks down the Xbox Game Pass price cut in detail. You will see exactly what each tier now costs. You will understand why Microsoft reversed course so quickly. And you will learn whether the new value equation works for your gaming habits.
For the big picture on all the changes at Microsoft Gaming, see our pillar post on Microsoft Gaming in 2026 . Meanwhile, for CEO Asha Sharma’s broader strategy, read our breakdown of her three-pillar plan .
The New Pricing Structure
The Xbox Game Pass price cut affects the two most expensive tiers. The lower tiers remain unchanged.
| Subscription Tier | Old Price (Oct 2025) | New Price (Apr 2026) | Day-One COD? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Pass Ultimate | $29.99/month | $22.99/month | No (arrives ~1 year later) |
| PC Game Pass | $16.49/month | $13.99/month | No (arrives ~1 year later) |
| Game Pass Premium | $14.99/month | $14.99/month | No (never had it) |
| Game Pass Essential | $9.99/month | $9.99/month | No (never had it) |
Ultimate subscribers now save $84 annually compared to the October 2025 pricing. PC players save about $30 per year. Existing Call of Duty titles already in the Game Pass library remain playable without interruption.
Why Microsoft Made the Trade
The Xbox Game Pass price cut corrected a pricing mistake that alienated subscribers.
In October 2025, Microsoft raised Ultimate to $29.99 monthly to offset the cost of putting Call of Duty into the service day one. That bet failed. The company reportedly sacrificed “more than $300 million in sales” of Call of Duty by including the franchise at launch. Gaming revenue fell 9% in the holiday quarter, and cancellations spiked.
New CEO Asha Sharma addressed the problem directly. “Game Pass Ultimate has become too expensive for too many players,” she admitted. By removing day-one Call of Duty access, Microsoft can charge a lower base price while still collecting premium sales from the franchise. The $84 annual savings roughly equals the cost of one new Call of Duty game.
For a deeper look at the $300 million miscalculation, see our earlier coverage on the Game Pass pricing rollback .
What This Means for Subscribers
The Xbox Game Pass price cut affects different gamers differently.
If you are a Call of Duty diehard, you will now need to buy the game separately for about $70. The $84 you save annually on your subscription nearly covers that purchase. You essentially break even. If Call of Duty isn’t your priority, you simply pay $84 less per year for the same great service.
The core Game Pass Ultimate benefits remain intact: hundreds of games on console and PC, online multiplayer, cloud gaming, EA Play, and day-one access to all other Xbox Game Studios titles like Forza Horizon and Fable. The only casualty is day-one Call of Duty.
For a complete list of what Ultimate currently includes, see our Game Pass Ultimate benefits guide .
Conclusion
The Xbox Game Pass price cut represents a strategic retreat that benefits most subscribers. Microsoft acknowledged that the previous $29.99 price was too high and that not every blockbuster belongs in a subscription. The new $22.99 monthly cost makes Ultimate more accessible, and the Call of Duty trade-off only significantly affects a subset of players.
Asha Sharma has promised a “more flexible” Game Pass in the future. For now, the service is more affordable and still offers tremendous value for anyone who plays more than a few games per year.
