Xbox Game Pass “has become too expensive,” new gaming chief says in leaked memo

The memo

It has been reported that Microsoft’s new gaming head, Asha Sharma, told Xbox employees in an internal memo that “Game Pass has become too expensive for players” and that the company needs “a better value equation.” Sharma reportedly framed Game Pass as central to Xbox’s strategy but cautioned the current model “isn’t the final one” and promised a longer-term move toward a more flexible system that will take time to test and learn around.

Why it matters

Why does this matter to players? Because Game Pass just isn’t what it used to be for many subscribers. Microsoft raised Game Pass Ultimate to $29.99 a month last year — a 50 percent jump — and added big-ticket titles like Call of Duty to the catalog, which it has been reported increased the service’s cost pressure. Gamers feel the pinch; some are grumbling, others are leaving. The emotional moment here is obvious: a service once sold as a gaming bargain is starting to look like another subscription you have to justify.

What comes next

It has been reported that Windows Central’s Jez Corden has publicly floated the possibility that Microsoft might remove Call of Duty from Game Pass — a move that, if true, would signal a significant strategic pivot. Sharma said she’ll “go deeper” with employees next week, so don’t expect instant price cuts. But the language is telling: Microsoft is awake to the backlash and prepping changes. Will it recalibrate value or quietly trim the catalog? Stay tuned — this is subscription politics in action, and the industry is watching.

Sources: theverge.com