Xbox Game Pass has been through a somewhat controversial year, with its price hike in 2025 before being reversed by current Xbox CEO Asha Sharma later on.
Microsoft has been on the defensive somewhat with the service, removing Call of Duty earlier this year on rumors that it's simply "too generous" and potentially unsustainable.
Furthermore, even more rumors have been circulating online that Xbox Game Pass may be undergoing a massive restructuring in 2027, with changes that purportedly include:
- The inclusion of "ads" in Xbox Game Pass with different versions. One version of Xbox Game Pass with ads will cost $12.99 per month, and one without ads will cost $19.99 per month or $239.99 annually.
- New Xbox games will no longer release day one" for Xbox Game Pass "starting somewhere between February and April 2027," in exchange for reducing the cost of Xbox Game Pass by $3.
- The claim "cloud streaming will no longer be a part of Xbox Game Pass."
- Cloud Streaming will be "an add-on bundle" that costs $5.99 for 25 hours.
- Here's one I would actually like: "Xbox Game Pass' Family plan will be included, as a $5.99 addon."
- And more bits and bobs.
However, the truth is perhaps not so clear.
Forbes journalist Paul Tassi recently interviewed an Xbox spokesperson about what they thought of these rumors, and they had this to say:
"We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one.”
Statement I got from an Xbox spokesperson about this:"We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously… https://t.co/CLLSEppdBPSeptember 15, 2026
Additionally, we've been doing some digging of our own and can confirm that the list of "changes" outlined by the above forum aren't based on any current plans within Microsoft and amount to "speculation or guesswork," trusted sources suggest.
However, it's no secret that Microsoft is actively exploring "changes" to Xbox Game Pass, which could include some of the guessed ideas outlined in the forum post.
Our sources say that there's no current plan to remove "day one" games as a feature of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in totality, but like the statement to Paul Tassi says, changes are coming. But, 100% speculatively and analytically: I think it's probably worth expecting that more franchises like Call of Duty may be pulled from day one access even on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Perhaps bigger franchises might be moved onto an even more expensive tier, or come with some kind of "addon" bundle like a cable TV package.
In short, Xbox is effectively denying these specific rumors, while acknowledging that changes are coming. Like Paul Tassi spotted, the mention of "previously announced games" in Xbox's quote is interesting, as the wording increases the likelihood that future Xbox Game Pass game additions could be altered or paired back.
Anonymous forum rumors should be always be taken with a huge grain of salt. However, with the recent changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming getting monthly restrictions, I have a feeling some of the suggestions in the thread could materialize in a worst case scenario.
Xbox Game Pass is a huge revenue stream for Microsoft today, but balancing that against retail sales and cash flow back to studios (particularly first-party studios) has been a subject of debate for some time.
However, we will have to wait until 2027 to find out if these rumors of Xbox Game Pass changing are true or false.
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