Xbox Lowers Game Pass Pricing While Delaying Call of Duty Day One Access

Updated Game Pass model balances affordability with delayed access to select titles while maintaining overall service value.

Hardware by Godrics01 on Apr 24, 2026

There have been a lot of rumors and teasers about the new pricing plan for Xbox Game Pass. The changes show that subscription prices and material access have been adjusted without changing what the service is all about.

They have even done it once, all the rumors and teasers. Xbox Game Pass is being lowered in price. Now it is not that good a round 19.99 figure, no. The following are their statements. Game Pass Ultimate will be reduced to 22.99 a month starting today. PC Game Pass will also be reduced to 13.99 per month (previously 16.49). Prices can be regionally different.

Xbox, Lowers Game Pass Pricing, While Delaying Call of Duty Day One Access, NoobFeed

Call of Duty Availability Changes

Now, this has one little hitch to it. Call of Duty will be leaving Game Pass day-and-date. That is one of the choices that virtually everyone was fine with. We did polls here. Many of the Xbox influencers conducted online polls. No one appears to have any actual interest in the fact that games like Call of Duty are on Game Pass.

We desire to read more of the kind of stuff like Clare Obscure. We would like to play that little racing game from the indie studio that we used to play a long time ago. We desire to learn new things. Its name is blanking out on us. We would like to play new material we wouldn't have otherwise. And it is a nice Game Pass victory.

First-Party Titles and Future Plans

But no, they are not abandoning their first-party games. Starting this year, subsequent Call of Duty games will not be a part of Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass on release. The holiday season will include the addition of New Call of Duty games to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The current Call of Duty titles already in the library will also remain.

Well, that is it with Xbox. Good news. It is wonderful to hear that new Call of Duty games will be introduced in the near future, say, a year from now. That is fine. You will still receive the first-party titles.

Service Benefits and Offerings

They explain a bit further. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will continue to play hundreds of games on both Xbox consoles and PC, including the latest Call of Duty games, in-game perks, online multiplayer, and day-one launches.

Get additional information on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential, and PC Game Pass plans and oversee your account. Our players are a broad spectrum of geographies, tastes, and preferences. Although there is no single best model, it is a response to the feedback received to date. They will keep listening and learning, and they will be grateful to be a part of the Xbox community.

Community Response/Pricing Perspective

That is now through Xbox. Having them listen and make effective changes is awesome. We have never offered Game Pass at a higher price than 24.99. That is as far as it could go, particularly in this economy. Their decision to reduce the price to 22.99, rather than 29.99, is a victory for gamers.

The following is the existing pricing model before the changes. Right now, it is 9.99, 14.99, and 29.99. We are not yet clear on how Premium and Essential will be affected, though it's probably dropping to 22.99. You can still access all the games on day one, except Call of Duty, and everything else Ultimate has to offer.

Additional Xbox Developments

This is at a time when Xbox is reporting some positive updates. Asha Sharma has been receptive to feedback, to the point of even contacting Shawn Layden. He said they are striving as best they can to change, given poor diagnostics and a grim prognosis, and that a clarifying postmortem would help the industry. Asha Sharma replied and said that she was interested in talking more.

As you have been following, he has been negative long-term about Xbox Game Pass for a long time. We had a discussion, and we do not agree on that point of view.

Games Performance and Sales

Other than this, there exist other developments. Despite these problems, Starfield remained the bestselling video game of the week in both physical and digital full-game dollar sales, as tracked in the week ending April 11. It is the first title to be at the top of the weekly bestselling titles list since the week ending September 2, 2023. That is the Circana retail tracking service.

Adjustments to the Rewards System and Ecosystem

Soon, Xbox players will be able to redeem Microsoft reward points on the console. This is yet another instance of modifications made to the players' preferences. We prefer the Xbox reward system. We enjoy the option to play games and the reward system that lets us experiment with something and earn points every week.

It was an excellent way to showcase indie titles. The ecosystem also included rewards, with gamers and influencers mutually supporting one another. The reduction was a loss to cut expenses.

Xbox, Lowers Game Pass Pricing, While Delaying Call of Duty Day One Access, NoobFeed

Xbox Brand and Communication Strategy

All this is happening at a time when Xbox is recruiting a senior manager of brand and reputation. This position will report to the head of brand and platform communications for Xbox. It will collaborate with communications, marketing, leadership, social media, public affairs, and engineering teams to influence storytelling and control brand perception.

This position will handle both proactive and reactive activities across gaming, corporate, and wider stories, including business momentum. It will also handle relations with industry press and analysts, and liaise with external agencies to steer strategy and messaging.

Final Thoughts

Forza Horizon also came with a themed controller. The 8BitDo charging dock and Xbox wireless controllers, such as the Forza Horizon 6 Limited Edition, have a racing track-inspired design. The visual style comprises the semi-translucent design.

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