[UPDATE - 10/01/25 - 10:17 am] With a new post on Xbox Wire, Microsoft confirmed some of the rumored Xbox Game Pass changes, namely the revamped subscription tiers.
Starting today, Xbox Game Pass will offer Essential, Premium and Ultimate subscriptions.
- Xbox Game Pass Essential will provide access to games across console, PC and cloud. The revamped plan, which will cost $9.99/month, includes unlimited cloud gaming, onlin multiplayer, in-game benefits and a total of 50 games, all of them also available on PC. Among these games are Hades, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, and Stardew Valley. With the Rewards with Xbox program, Essential members can earn up to $25 per year, as well as points on purchases for games and add-ons. Core users will be upgraded to Essential.
- Xbox Game Pass Premium will grant access to over 200 games across consoles and PC, including new additions like Diablo IV and Hogwarts Legacy, PC and supported devices at the current price of $14.99/month. Unlimted cloud gaming is also available for this subscription tier, as we well as up to $50 a year via the Rewards with Xbox program. Standard users will be upgraded to Premium.
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate got its biggest upgrade of all, but also a significant $29.99/month price increase. This subscription tier provides access to over 400 games across consoles, PC and cloud gaming, access to over 75 day one releases a year, and some added services, like the Fortnite Crew subscription from November 18, Ubisoft + Classics, and expanded Cloud Gaming with the best quality streaming and shortest wait times. Ultimate subscribers can also earn up to $100 per year via the Rewards with Xbox program.
Original story follows.
[Original Story] Big changes are rumored to be on the horizon for Xbox Game Pass, including changes to PC Game Pass, a price increase for the Ultimate subscription and cheaper, ad-supported tiers.
The rumors originated on the ResetERA forums from moderator Slayven, who claimed to have information from an unspecified source that has proved reliable in the past. The timing for all these changes is unclear, although some are reportedly coming next year.
The first big change will be the sunsetting of PC Game Pass, presumably leaving the Ultimate tier as the only way to access the Game Pass library on PC. The price of the Ultimate tier is reportedly increasing to $25 in the United States, although the timing is uncertain, as this price increase could be delayed to 2026.
Xbox Game Pass Core and Standard subscription tiers are reportedly not getting any major change. The two subscription tiers are rumored to be renamed to Game Pass Essential and Game Pass Premium, mirroring the naming for the PlayStation Plus subscription tiers, which sounds like a good marketing move.
The biggest change to Xbox Game Pass, reportedly coming in 2026, however, is the addition of an ad-supported subscription tier. This tier, which could also be offered for free, will be time-based with forced ads.
As there's no way to verify the information revealed in today's report, we have to take these Xbox Game Pass changes with a massive grain of salt. Considering how the gaming market continues to change, however, and how Microsoft has been making changes to the service in recent times, there's a solid chance that something may indeed be brewing as today's rumors suggest.
Discussion regarding Xbox Game Pass has always been heated since the service's launch in 2017, as if these changes are indeed coming, it will only get more heated. Although Microsoft has never disclosed the performance of the service, it reportedly seems to have been doing well. As such, it's no surprise the company will continue to focus on it for the foreseeable future, as head of Xbox's ID@Xbox program, Chris Charla, confirmed not only that the service is popular among partners, but also that 2025 has marked the company's largest investment in Game Pass to date.
More information on Xbox Game Pass, its subscription tiers and the current game library can be found on the service's official website.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
