Asha Sharma Says Cuts to Game Pass Price Are Working

"Growth slowed down and subscriber loss accelerated after the pricing and SKU changes last year."

Back in October of last year, consumers found themselves in a hurry to cancel their Game Pass subscriptions after Xbox unceremoniously jacked up prices. The move was so brazen that even the FTC stepped in to scrutinize it. Things are different now in 2026, however, as new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma continues to make changes that, at least for now, look to be a heck of a lot more pro-consumer and pro-fan than anything the company has been doing over the past few years. This includes lowering the price of Xbox Game Pass down to something a lot more reasonable.

In April, the price went from a ludicrous $29.99 per month down to $22.99, while the PC version went from $16.49 to $13.99. This was more than enough to start bringing back lapsed subscribers and even draw in new ones, with Sharma saying that "Since our price reduction we have seen acquisitions grow and retention improve, which is a good first step." If nothing else, it's a nice olive branch to consumers that felt shafted when the price skyrocketed.

Among some of the big changes underway, such as bringing a new startup animation to Xbox consoles and tiered Gamerscore badges, Xbox is also getting a naming rebrand. That's right, Xbox is now... XBOX. All right, maybe not every change is going to make a huge impact, but so far, Sharma is at least showing that she knows something is wrong and is striving to fix it. And while this price adjustment isn't perfect (Game Pass being $22.99 a month is still pretty expensive), let's hope this means Xbox is putting customers and fans first as it works on its new Project Helix.

Source: GamesIndustry.biz