Pay More, Get Less: Xbox Game Pass Changes Ignite Controversy and Validate Merger Fears

2025-10-04

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The implicit promise of Xbox Game Pass has always been one of unparalleled value. For a monthly fee, players gained access to a vast and growing library of games, a proposition that reshaped the industry. Now, in a move that feels less like an evolution and more like a squeeze, Microsoft is fundamentally altering that value proposition. The company has enacted a dual-pronged change to its flagship service, increasing the price of its Ultimate tier while simultaneously and quietly stripping away a long-standing subscriber discount, sparking a firestorm of criticism and lending credence to the very warnings issued by regulators.

The timing of these changes is impossible to ignore. Occurring in the wake of the company's tumultuous $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, these actions are being widely interpreted not as a routine price adjustment, but as the first tangible consequence of Microsoft's newly consolidated market power. For many, the post-acquisition honeymoon is over, and the bill is coming due.

A Quiet Devaluation

The first blow to subscribers is a direct price hike. As reported by GamesRadar, the cost for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has been increased, with the outlet noting a $10 rise for subscribers. But it is the second, more subtle change that has drawn the most ire. Microsoft has, without any formal announcement, removed the 10% discount that Game Pass subscribers previously enjoyed on purchases of DLC and in-game currency.

This "quiet" removal, confirmed by outlets including IGN, has been particularly scrutinized for its application to Call of Duty Points, the microtransaction currency for the newly acquired blockbuster franchise. The move is being seen as a direct leveraging of Activision Blizzard's assets, transforming a long-standing subscriber perk into a new revenue opportunity at the player's expense. The lack of transparency has only fueled a growing sense of betrayal among the service's user base, who now find themselves paying more for a service that demonstrably offers less.

The Regulator's Rebuke

The developments have not gone unnoticed by the very watchdogs who scrutinized the Activision Blizzard deal. Former FTC Chair Lina Khan publicly highlighted the moves as a validation of the agency's initial concerns. In a statement reported by PCGamer, Khan drove the point home: "This is a good time to remember that the FTC sued to block this deal. The agency predicted that the merger would harm both gamers and developers."

Khan’s statement amplifies a growing "I told you so" narrative, casting a long shadow over the promises Microsoft made to secure the merger's approval. The sentiment is echoed by consumer advocacy groups, who, according to Kotaku, have labeled the company as "too-big-to-care" in the wake of the changes. The critique is stark: a company of Microsoft's scale, having just completed one of the largest acquisitions in tech history, is now acting with impunity, and consumers are the first to feel the impact.

The community reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. Across forums and social media, players are expressing deep frustration, feeling that the trust they placed in the Game Pass ecosystem has been broken. The narrative is consistent: this is Microsoft capitalizing on a loyal subscriber base, and the stealthy removal of the discount is being viewed as particularly deceptive.

As the controversy simmers, one key element is conspicuously absent: an official statement from Microsoft. The company has yet to provide any rationale for the removal of the discount or clarify if it is a permanent policy change. This silence has created an information vacuum, allowing the most critical interpretations to take root. For now, players are left to wonder if this is the first of many such changes, a fundamental shift in the Game Pass philosophy now that the battle for subscribers has been supplanted by the need to monetize a massive new acquisition. The industry is watching to see if the service that was once gaming's best deal is becoming just another line item in a corporate balance sheet.