Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass prices will increase to $20 – here's how to beat it
Starting in September, Microsoft will also limit stacking multiple Xbox Game Passes to 13 months (previously it was 3 years)
💰 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will cost $19.99 per month (up from $16.99/mo)
😬 For now, my Xbox Game Pass discount code remains in stock
🤗 “Stacking” multiple Game Passes will go from a 3-year to ~1-year limit
💻 The standalone PC Game Pass will cost $11.99 (was $9.99)
🆕 New Game Pass Standard tier to launch without Day-One releases
📆 Microsoft’s price hikes take effect on September 12
🤔 Why? Xbox’s “Netflix of gaming” will include Call of Duty Black Ops 6 on day one – that Activision takeover was always going to cost you.
It had to happen. I have actually been warning for months that it would happen: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will increase in price to $19.99/mo (up from 16.99/mo) – and now there’s also a confusing set of new tiers.
Why this is happening
There had to be a trade-off for Microsoft buying Activision for a nice $69 billion. You didn’t think they were really giving you Call of Duty Black Ops 6 on Game Pass for “free” on day one, did you? The $70 game will cost you, like it or not. Plus, in this economy, everything is going up in price, likely the Fold 6 and iPhone 16.
Xbox Game Pass tiers got more confusing
In addition to a $3 price increase for the top Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier, Microsoft will launch a new tier of its “Netflix of gaming” service called Game Pass Standard and retire the Xbox Game Pass for Consoles plan for new sign-ups.
Xbox Game Pass Standard is different from the base-level Xbox Game Pass Core (which still exists and took the place of Xbox Live by offering online multiplayer and no games to stream). Standard, in contrast, has Game Pass’ all-you-can-play perks for hundreds of streaming Xbox games, but at $15/mo it won’t come with some Ultimate-only membership benefits, namely Day One releases, EA Play and cloud gaming on multiple devices.
I’ve reached out to Microsoft for additional information about the Xbox Game Pass price increase. I will update you on this news if I hear back from the company.
There’s hope: an Xbox Game Pass discount
Luckily, my Xbox Game Pass Ultimate discount code I’ve been spotlighting still works (for now) – and the new 13-month limit on stacking multiple Game Passes – won’t take effect until September 12. Microsoft started adding stacking restrictions in other countries in April, so it was only a matter of time for US consumers.
🧠 Pro tip: I’ll be stacking 3 years’ worth of Xbox tonight before the limit on stacking transitions to 13 months. The last time there was a price hike, the discounts sold out.