Microsoft has once again increased the prices for Xbox Game Pass, implementing major changes to its acclaimed game subscription service. The flagship Game Pass Ultimate tier has seen a 50 percent increase in the US, jumping from $19.99 to $29.99. The company is also replacing the previous Core and Standard tiers with new Essential and Premium plans, priced at $9.99 and $14.99, respectively.
To make these pricier, ‘upgraded’ Xbox Game Pass plans more appealing to players, Microsoft is adding a wealth of new content and enhancing Xbox rewards. Game Pass Ultimate members will now also receive a Fortnite Crew subscription and access to Ubisoft+ Classics titles.
Beyond the restructuring, Microsoft has bolstered the Xbox Game Pass library with over 45 new games, including the popular Hogwarts Legacy for Ultimate and Premium subscribers. These new Game Pass plans and their updated pricing have been live globally since October 1.
Xbox Game Pass Plans and Pricing
Microsoft detailed the new pricing and plan offerings in a recent Xbox Wire post. The company stated that Game Pass’s creator engagement and player participation are at an ‘all-time high,’ and these adjustments aim to provide more ‘flexibility, choice, and value’ to subscribers. While acknowledging the price increase—the second in just over a year—Microsoft attributed it to the expanded game catalog.
It’s worth noting that Microsoft has also raised the prices of its Xbox consoles twice this year. For instance, the special edition 2TB Xbox Series X now carries a higher price tag than a PlayStation 5 Pro, a more powerful console with comparable storage.
“Starting today, we’re introducing three upgraded Game Pass plans based on how players play: Essential, Premium, and Ultimate,” Microsoft stated in its announcement. “Each includes expanded game libraries, including PC titles, unlimited cloud gaming, in-game benefits (including Riot Games titles), and a revamped Rewards with Xbox experience.”
Existing Game Pass Core and Standard members will be automatically transitioned to the new Essential and Premium plans. Game Pass Ultimate members will continue on their current plan but at a significantly higher cost. Below is a detailed breakdown of the new pricing and included benefits:
Game Pass Ultimate
Game Pass Ultimate is now priced at $29.99 in the US, representing a 50 percent jump from its previous $19.99. In India, the top-tier subscription will now cost a substantial Rs. 1,389 per month, a 67.5 percent increase from its prior price of Rs. 829.
For this new price, Ultimate members gain access to over 400 games playable across Xbox consoles, PC, and Cloud. This also includes more than 75 day-one releases annually, encompassing all first-party Microsoft titles. The Ultimate plan further bundles EA Play and Ubisoft+ Classics, providing a rich back catalog of Ubisoft games. The Fortnite Crew subscription will also be added to the plan starting in November. Additional benefits feature enhanced Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming in 1440p, exclusive Xbox rewards, and online multiplayer access.
Game Pass Premium
Replacing last year’s Standard plan, the Premium plan maintains its price at $14.99 in the US. In India, it now costs Rs. 699 per month, up from Rs. 619. This plan offers access to over 200 games from the Game Pass library, new Xbox-published games within a year of their launch, cloud gaming, Xbox rewards, and online multiplayer.
Game Pass Essential
The Essential plan, which takes over from Game Pass Core, includes more than 50 games, cloud gaming, Xbox rewards, and online multiplayer. Its US price remains $9.99. However, in India, this plan’s price rises from Rs. 349 to Rs. 499.
PC Game Pass
PC Game Pass, which provides a library of over 300 games, day-one access to new and first-party titles, and EA Play, now costs $16.49, an increase from $11.99. For Indian PC gamers, the monthly price is now Rs. 939, up from Rs. 449.
All Game Pass plans now feature more benefits
Photo Credit: Microsoft
New Xbox Game Pass Titles
Microsoft also rolled out dozens of new games to Xbox Game Pass on October 1. Here’s a comprehensive list of the new titles now available on the service:
Ultimate
- Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed II (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed III Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag: Freedom Cry (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed Revelations (PC)
- Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection (Cloud and Console)
- Assassin’s Creed Unity (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Child of Light (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Far Cry 3 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Far Cry Primal (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Hungry Shark World (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Monopoly Madness (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Monopoly 2024 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- OddBallers (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Rabbids Invasion: The Interactive TV Show (Cloud and Console)
- Rabbids: Party of Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Rayman Legends (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Risk Urban Assault (Cloud and Console)
- Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Skull and Bones (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series S/X)
- South Park: The Stick of Truth (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Steep (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- The Crew 2 (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- The Settlers: New Allies (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Tom Clancy’s The Division (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Trackmania Turbo (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Transference (Cloud and Console)
- Trials Fusion (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Trials of the Blood Dragon (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Trials Rising (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Uno (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Watch_Dogs (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Wheel of Fortune (Cloud and Console)
- Zombi (Cloud, PC, and Console)
Premium (also in Ultimate)
- 9 Kings (Game Preview) (PC)
- Abiotic Factor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series S/X)
- Against the Storm (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (PC)
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (PC)
- Age of Mythology: Retold (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series S/X)
- Ara: History Untold (PC)
- Arx Fatalis (PC)
- Back to the Dawn (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Battletech (PC)
- Blacksmith Master (Game Preview) (PC)
- Cataclismo (PC)
- Cities: Skylines II (PC)
- Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series S/X)
- Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series S/X)
- Diablo (PC)
- Diablo IV (PC and Console)
- An Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire (PC)
- The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (PC)
- Fallout (PC)
- Fallout 2 (PC)
- Fallout: Tactics (PC)
- Football Manager 2024 (PC)
- Frostpunk 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series S/X)
- Halo: Spartan Strike (PC)
- Hogwarts Legacy (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC)
- Minami Lane (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Minecraft: Java Edition (PC)
- Mullet Madjack (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series S/X)
- My Friendly Neighborhood (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- One Lonely Outpost (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Quake 4 (PC)
- Quake III Arena (PC)
- Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC)
- Rise of Nations: Extended Edition (PC)
- Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series S/X)
- Sworn (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series S/X)
- Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC)
- Volcano Princess (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Warcraft I: Remastered (PC)
- Warcraft II: Remastered (PC)
- Warcraft III: Reforged (PC)
- Wolfenstein 3D (PC)
Essential (also in Ultimate and Premium)
- Cities: Skylines Remastered (Cloud and Xbox Series S/X)
- Disney Dreamlight Valley (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Hades (Cloud, PC, and Console)
- Warhammer 40,000 Darktide (Cloud, PC, and Console)