Microsoft raises Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price, launches new ‘Standard’ tier

Microsoft plans to raise the price of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate again in September, alongside the launch of a new “standard” subscription that doesn’t include day-one access to first-party Xbox games. The Xbox maker has started sending out emails to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers warning them of a price increase to $19.99 per month starting September 12, a $3 increase from the current price of $16.99 per month.

PC Game Pass subscribers will also see their prices increase in September, with the service going from $9.99 to $11.99 per month and retaining access to day one titles. If you’re outside the US and wondering how the price increases affect your own subscription, Microsoft has a full list of all the global price changes here.

The price increases come just before Microsoft plans to add Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and other major first-party Xbox games to its Game Pass service later this year. The price increases will largely affect Ultimate subscribers, who make up the vast majority of Game Pass subscribers, and come just over a year after Game Pass’s last price hikes increased rates by $1 to $2 per month.

In addition to the price increases for Game Pass Ultimate and PC games, Microsoft will also offer a new Xbox Game Pass Standard subscription option without day one titles, priced at $14.99 per month for new users of the service. The existing Xbox Game Pass console subscription will continue for existing subscribers, but new Game Pass subscribers will not be able to select the console option starting July 10 until the new Game Pass Standard subscription becomes available. Microsoft says Xbox Game Pass Standard “will be available in the coming months.”

The new standard option also includes access to online multiplayer on console, something previously missing from Xbox Game Pass for Console. Existing Xbox Game Pass for Console subscribers will only be able to stack their subscriptions for 13 months starting September 18, but this will not impact existing stacks.

I revealed in May that Microsoft was considering raising the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate again, amid debate over whether to add Call of Duty to the service. A price increase on the top tier will help offset Microsoft’s addition of Activision Call of Duty series on Game Pass, and it has been widely anticipated since Microsoft made the Cod official addition.