With the appointment of new CEO Asha Sharma, the Xbox brand is about to undergo a series of major changes. Recent rumors indicate that Microsoft is discussing adjustments to its exclusivity strategy and Game Pass. As for Game Pass, Asha Sharma admitted that the service needs to become more accessible. According to people familiar with the matter, Xbox is currently considering launching a subscription tier that will only include first-party games.
Previously, Xbox raised the monthly fee for Game Pass Ultimate to $30, making its promise of "instant storage" unattractive to a large number of existing customers who were unwilling to pay the new price.
According to Tom Warren, Xbox is indeed revisiting its Game Pass subscription tiers. According to people familiar with the matter, Microsoft may launch a new tier containing only first-party games. This report coincides with earlier data mining results suggesting that the gear is already in development. By then, the plan will cover works such as "Gears of War: E-Day", "Halo: Battle Evolved", and "Forza Horizon 6".
The report also corroborates recent discussions about Xbox potentially removing Call of Duty from the service. However, it is said that Xbox is weighing a plan that will no longer add new “Call of Duty” games to Game Pass in the future, rather than removing players’ existing games.
These adjustments are part of a broader strategic transformation of the Xbox division. Microsoft is considering investing more in the platform to increase its value and attract a mainstream audience. At the same time, Microsoft is preparing for its next-generation console, Xbox Project Helix, expected to be launched in 2027. Any changes to Game Pass, and the brand as a whole, are likely to be designed to lure players to new hardware in the future.