Microsoft has decreased the subscription fees for its Xbox Game Pass service in India and various international markets. The announcement was made by Asha Sharma, the newly appointed Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, following customer backlash over earlier price hikes several months ago. However, the company is also changing its approach to releasing new games in one of its major series, Call of Duty, by eliminating day-one access.
Xbox Game Pass Subscription Reductions Revealed
The company has cut the monthly rates for its main Game Pass options worldwide. The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is now priced at $22.99 (approximately Rs. 2,100), reduced from $29.99 (about Rs. 2,800), representing a drop of around 25 percent. The PC Game Pass has been adjusted to $13.99 (roughly Rs. 1,300) from $16.49 (approximately Rs. 1,500). These figures apply to the US market.
In India, the updated pricing is already active. Checks by Gadgets 360 confirmed that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now costs Rs. 1,089 monthly, down from Rs. 1,389. The PC Game Pass is set at Rs. 879 per month, previously Rs. 939 on the Microsoft Store, though the company indicated that costs could differ by location.
Other plans, such as Game Pass Premium and Game Pass Essential, appear unchanged.
Asha Sharma explained the adjustment, stating that the Ultimate tier had grown too costly for many users, and the new rate starts at $22.99 per month.
Alongside these fee reductions, Microsoft revealed that upcoming Call of Duty games will not launch on Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass on their release day. Instead, they will become available during the next holiday period, about a year later.
This represents a departure from past practices, where games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 were offered to subscribers immediately upon release. Microsoft, which owns Activision Blizzard—the publisher of the series—confirmed that current Call of Duty titles in the library will stay accessible.
Subscribers to Game Pass Ultimate will still get immediate access to other Microsoft-owned games on launch day, plus features like online play, cloud gaming, and additional in-game benefits.
The updates follow last year’s substantial price increases of nearly 50 percent, which prompted user complaints about cost. The current changes seem to address those concerns by making subscriptions more affordable while restricting instant access to certain high-profile titles.
Microsoft commented that its audience spans diverse regions, interests, and preferences, and while no one approach suits all, this adjustment reflects user input received to date. The company plans to keep gathering feedback.
