Microsoft has announced another price hike for Xbox Game Pass, raising the cost of the PC Game Pass plan from $12 to $16.49 a month. This change comes as part of a broader restructuring of its subscription tiers.
The increase, confirmed on October 1, 2025, follows a series of price adjustments across Xbox’s Game Pass plans, including Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which now costs $30 a month. The new price for PC Game Pass will take effect on November 4, 2025, for current subscribers, though new users will see the change immediately.
What price and content changes are coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Microsoft’s decision to raise the price of its PC Game Pass plan aims to match the value gamers are receiving through expanded content. In addition to its standard offering, Xbox Game Pass PC now includes more perks, including day-one releases for games, access to a wider catalog, and an enhanced cloud gaming experience.
The price hike is part of a wider rebranding initiative for Xbox Game Pass. Core and Standard plans have been renamed Essential and Premium, respectively, but remain priced at $10 and $15 a month, keeping them stable. Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate continues to evolve with added benefits like Ubisoft Plus Classics and Fortnite Crew.
Why the Price Increase May Spark Debate Among Gamers
While the added benefits in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, such as 75 day-one releases a year, are appealing, many players may find the $30/month price tag steep. With the cost of gaming rising across the board, including higher console prices and more expensive individual games, players will likely weigh whether these additional perks justify the price hike.
One of the most significant changes is the inclusion of Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft Plus Classics subscriptions, which combined are valued at $28 a month. However, for many, paying $30 for a subscription service may not be the best option given that titles like “Hollow Knight: Silksong” retail for less than the cost of a month’s subscription. Players may reconsider their subscriptions or choose to buy games outright when the value proposition doesn’t align with their gaming habits.
For some, the changes may encourage them to cancel their Ultimate plans after a few months or subscribe for short periods to access specific games. Others may find themselves gravitating to alternative services or even sticking with Xbox’s individual game purchases.
Ultimately, while the increased cost offers more value in the form of exclusive games and perks, gamers will need to decide whether the cost is worth it based on their time spent gaming.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Ultimate has been expanded for those who want everything. The plan now includes more than 75 day-one releases each year, alongside a growing library of over 400 games. Popular additions include Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, High on Life 2, The Outer Worlds 2, and Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Subscribers also get EA Play access, new Ubisoft+ Classics titles, and Epic’s Fortnite Crew package starting 18 November. Cloud gaming has been upgraded, too, now streaming at up to 1440p and officially out of beta.
Xbox Game Pass Premium
Premium offers more than 200 games across consoles, PC, and supported devices for $14.99 a month. It adds hits like Diablo IV, Hogwarts Legacy, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 5. New Xbox-published games arrive within a year of launch, though Call of Duty titles are excluded.
Unlimited cloud gaming and in-game rewards across major franchises are also included. Microsoft says Premium subscribers can earn up to $50 in Store value each year through the Rewards system.
Xbox Game Pass Essential
Essential is designed as a starting point. It includes 50+ games on console and PC, unlimited cloud gaming, online multiplayer, and in-game benefits. The library features Hades, Stardew Valley, Cities: Skylines Remastered, and Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.
Rewards with Xbox Game Pass
With the new Game Pass plans, Microsoft is reshaping how players earn points and store credit through daily play and purchases. Each tier comes with a different cap on annual rewards and bonus multipliers, meaning the more you subscribe, the more you can get back.
Play & Earn
All three plans now let players earn points simply by completing Xbox Game Pass quests. The difference is in how much those quests pay back:
Essential members can access quests with a 1x bonus rate, earning up to $25 in-store value per year.
Microsoft Jacks Up Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price by 50% and Introduces PlayStation Plus Style Tiers
In a recent update to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft released an entire Xbox Wire blog post and a 4-minute video informing players about the new changes. To begin with, the name for Xbox Game Pass Core is now Xbox Game Pass Essential, Xbox Game Pass Standard is now Xbox Game Pass Premium, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate stays the same.
These names, as per players, bear a striking resemblance to PlayStation Plus’ subscription tiers (Essential, Extra, and Premium). However, the real shocker came when players saw that the price of the Ultimate subscription has now increased from $19.99 to $29.99.
The subscription for PC Game Pass has been hiked from $11.99 to $16.49 per month.
Dustin Blackwell said the only major change taking place for PC Game Pass is “that they won’t be getting Ubisoft Plus Classics, but they’ll be getting about 50 additional Ubisoft titles across PC Game Pass”.
The company is expected to hike the price of its Xbox consoles in the US in the coming days.
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