Xbox Game Pass Leak Hints That Price Could Be Going Down

2 hours ago 2

Published Apr 13, 2026, 2:37 PM EDT

Scott Baird is a contributor with over a decade's experience writing about video games, along with board games and tabletop RPGs. Scott has previously worked for Dexerto, Cracked, Dorkly, and Gamepur.

The price of Xbox Game Pass may go down in the future, as a leaked document from Xbox's new chief suggests they want to lower it because the service has become too expensive.

Xbox Game Pass was once known as the best deal in gaming, providing access to tons of titles, including day-one releases, all for a relatively low subscription fee. Unfortunately, Microsoft kept raising the price, and it has become much harder to justify the cost, especially as former first-party exclusives are moving to other platforms, diluting the need to even own an Xbox.

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It seems Microsoft might be rethinking Game Pass's price. A leaked internal memo obtained by The Verge includes an alleged statement from Asha Sharma, the new Xbox Chief, suggesting a price change.

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According to the leaked memo, Sharma believes Xbox Game Pass has become too expensive and suggests introducing a new, more flexible system. Sharma didn't specify exactly what would change or how the value would be altered.

The timing of this leak is suspect, as it lines up with recent rumors that Microsoft wants to remove franchises like Call of Duty from Game Pass. This could be Microsoft preparing fans for a cheaper version of Game Pass that's missing day-one exclusives, such as the upcoming Fable.

The timing of this leak is suspect, as it lines up with recent rumors that Microsoft wants to remove franchises like Call of Duty from Game Pass.

That said, a Call of Duty-free version of Game Pass would appeal to many fans. Call of Duty is massively popular, but not everyone cares about the shooter franchise, so a cheaper Game Pass without it might attract many buyers. It helps that the recent Call of Duty games have underwhelmed, so there's less hype around their release.

It depends on how much is cut from Game Pass to justify a lower cost. If there's a tier without day-one first-party exclusives, that removes a major reason people subscribed to the service in the first place. Sharma's memo, if legit, suggests that Microsoft wants to try out different plans, so fans will have the chance to put their money where their mouthes are, and let the company know what they want.