75%
Probable
[UPDATE - April 12, 2026] According to Jez Corden, Microsoft is now considering another structural change to Game Pass: the removal of this year's new Call of Duty game from the Ultimate tier.
[ORIGINAL STORY] Exactly two weeks ago, The Verge's Tom Warren revealed that sources inside Microsoft pointed to an early plan to potentially add more third-party services to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, in a bid to make it more appealing. After the shocking price increase to $30 that went live on October 1, 2025, many Xbox gamers feel it isn't worth it anymore, even with the inclusion of Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics, hence why Microsoft might be looking to add value.
Interestingly, a new rumor comes from WindowsCentral's Jez Corden. In a YouTube livestream, he mentioned Warren's report while adding that he heard Microsoft is also considering the addition of first-party services, such as the World of Warcraft, Minecraft Realms, Fallout 1st, and Elder Scrolls Online Plus subscriptions.
I think there is an opportunity to make Game Pass Ultimate worth the money. There was a report recently from Tom Warren in his newsletter on The Verge; he said something along the lines of, Microsoft's looking at ways to add even more value to Game Pass. I think making it like there are more reasons to subscribe at $30 is probably a race against time for them right now, where they're like, "We need to make this work and make people feel like it's worthwhile".
One thing I did hear, and I don't know if this would ever happen, but one thing I did hear - this is something I get asked a lot - is they were exploring putting the World of Warcraft and some of the other subscriptions they got, like Fallout 1st, Minecraft Realms...They were exploring putting that in Game Pass Ultimate. Now, if they did that, if they put World of Warcraft, Minecraft Realms, Fallout 1st, and the Elder Scrolls [Online Plus] subscription, if they put all that into Game Pass Ultimate, then oh boy, does it become worth it then for me at $30.
Then, answering a viewer's question on the same topic, he added:
I kind of just addressed that. It does seem like they're going to eventually integrate some of the subscription into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but we'll see if it actually happens.
Using the subscriptions of first-party companies to add value to Game Pass Ultimate seems like a smart move, although Microsoft will definitely look carefully into the economics to see if it's feasible. Almost certainly, it wouldn't be possible to bundle all those into Game Pass Ultimate without touching up the individual services. Still, here's what each of them costs and offers right now:
| Subscription | Monthly Price | Annual Price | What's Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox Game Pass Ultimate | $29.99 | N/A (monthly only) | Xbox + PC Game Pass library, online multiplayer, EA Play, cloud gaming, Fortnite Crew, Ubisoft+ Classics |
| World of Warcraft | $14.99 | $155.88 ($12.99/mo) | Access to all WoW retail + Classic content, latest expansion excluded |
| Minecraft Realms Plus | $7.99 | N/A (monthly only) | Private server for you + up to 10 players, 150+ rotating Marketplace content packs |
| Fallout 1st | $12.99 | $99.99 | Private world (up to 8 players), Scrapbox, Survival Tent, 1,650 Atoms/month, exclusive cosmetics |
| ESO Plus | $14.99 | $139.99 | All previously released DLC game packs and dungeon (future content additions will be free since the switch to Seasons); Craft Bag, 1,650 Crowns/month, double bank space; Tamriel Tome battle pass premium tokens, increased transmute crystal cap, housing furnishing limit increases |
If you could only pick one, which would you like to see added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? Vote in the poll and let us know below.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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