The company said the price rise reflects the broader set of benefits the plans now deliver to subscribers.
Starting October 1, Microsoft will roll out three new subscription tiers — Essential, Premium and Ultimate — replacing the current Core, Standard and Ultimate plans. At the same time, the price of Game Pass Ultimate will increase by 50%, rising to $30 per month. The other tiers — Xbox Game Pass Core (now Essential) and Standard (now Premium) — will retain their current U.S. prices ($9.99 and $14.99 per month, respectively), although some regions are expected to see price adjustments as well.
Microsoft attributes the increases to substantial improvements in the service. Game Pass Ultimate will now include a Fortnite Crew subscription (valued at $11.99/month) and Ubisoft+ Classics (valued at $15.98/month), and the company promises more than 75 day-one releases each year — roughly a 50% increase compared with last year. The total value of the Game Pass library tops $10,000, and Microsoft says the average Ultimate subscriber would save about $550 annually if they bought those games separately.
All subscription levels will offer access to cloud gaming and expanded libraries. Premium will now cover any game that appears on Xbox within one year of its release, and the total number of titles available across all tiers will increase.
In addition, subscribers can earn up to $100 per year (equivalent to 100,000 points) in the Xbox store by playing games, enjoy up to 30% discounts on selected Game Pass titles, and receive reward points for purchases of games and add‑ons.
Source: iXBT.games