Xbox’s Hike on Game Pass Shows Cost of Lost ‘Call of Duty’ Sales
The Game Pass logo is displayed on monitors during the Microsoft Corp. Xbox event ahead of the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/BloombergMicrosoft Corp.’s Xbox division surprised many video game enthusiasts this week when the company announced a 50% price hike, to $30 a month, for the highest level tier in its Game Pass subscription service.
Online reaction was swift, with California Governor Gavin Newsom blaming the price increase on President Donald Trump’s tariffs, and video game retailer GameStop Corp. posting a cartoon suggesting customers would be better off just buying games in stores.