Microsoft has kicked off October 2025 with another shakeup for Xbox Game Pass, and this one hits Ultimate subscribers the hardest. Just over a year after the last hike, the company has raised the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $19.99 to $29.99 per month in the U.S.. That’s a 50% jump, adding up to $120 more per year.
The UK isn’t spared either – Ultimate climbs from £14.99 to £22.99, a 53% rise.
This announcement comes after Microsoft launched the Standard tier as a less expensive option and raised Ultimate by $3 per month in July 2024. The October 2025 update reorganized the subscription lineup into three main tiers: Essential, Premium, and Ultimate.
The New Xbox Game Pass Tiers
Here’s how the plans now stack up:
- Ultimate – $29.99/month (up from $19.99)
- Premium – $14.99/month (replaces Standard, price unchanged)
- Essential – $9.99/month (replaces Core, price unchanged)
- PC Game Pass – $16.49/month (up from $11.99)
The new pricing is already live for new sign-ups as of October 1, 2025, while existing members will see the change from November 4, 2025.
As part of the announcement, Microsoft also added more than 45 new titles to the Game Pass library.
Why the Big Jump for Ultimate?
So, why is Ultimate suddenly $10 more expensive? Microsoft says the higher cost reflects an expanded lineup of day one releases, cloud gaming upgrades, and premium extras.
According to the company:
- Over 75 day one games per year are now included for Ultimate members.
- Fortnite Crew subscription (normally £9.99/month) is bundled from November 18, 2025.
- Ubisoft+ Classics (normally £13.98/month in the UK) is now included.
- Cloud gaming upgrades deliver shorter wait times and higher quality streaming.
Ultimate is also the only tier offering the best Xbox Cloud Gaming performance, with the service officially out of beta.
What’s Inside Premium and Essential
While Ultimate got the steepest hike, Premium and Essential were revamped too:
- Premium ($14.99) now includes over 200 games across console, PC, and supported devices. Xbox offers Xbox-published titles within a year of launch (excluding Call of Duty), unlimited cloud gaming, and rewards such as double points on game purchases and 5% back in points on select library titles.
- Essential ($9.99) now comes with unlimited cloud gaming, online multiplayer, in-game perks, and a curated library of 50+ console and PC titles. Members can also earn up to 25,000 points per year in the Store through gameplay and purchases.
PC Game Pass Takes a Hit Too
PC players aren’t immune either. Game Pass now costs $16.49 in the U.S. (up from $11.99), and £13.49 in the UK (up from £9.99). The service continues to include Microsoft’s first-party games on launch day, with Call of Duty confirmed to arrive.
The Bigger Picture: Is Game Pass Still Worth It?
The new prices arrive at a sensitive moment. Game Pass has been under scrutiny from both industry veterans and fans.
- Former Bethesda executive Pete Hines recently raised questions about whether the subscription model makes sense long-term.
- Raphael Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios (Dishonored, Prey), called Game Pass “unsustainable,” arguing it hurts the industry by being propped up with Microsoft’s deep pockets.
Despite the criticism, Microsoft insists engagement is at an all-time high. The company also revealed that Game Pass revenue hit nearly $5 billion this year, thanks in part to blockbuster launches like Oblivion: Remastered, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Microsoft’s Expensive Fall
This isn’t the only time Microsoft’s pricing strategy has made headlines. In recent months:
- The company flirted with $80 game prices before backtracking to $70.
- Xbox consoles saw price bumps in the U.S. “due to changes in the macroeconomic environment.”
- The upcoming ROG Xbox Ally X handheld made waves with its $999.99 price tag, while the regular ROG Xbox Ally comes in at $599.99.
All of this adds up to a growing cost of being an Xbox fan in 2025.
Should You Stick With Xbox Game Pass?
For players who want day one access to big releases, Fortnite Crew, and Ubisoft+ Classics, Ultimate still packs a lot of value despite the steep hike. But if you mainly stick to Xbox’s back catalog or don’t care about extras like V-Bucks, Premium or Essential might be the smarter play.
PC players will have to decide whether Microsoft’s growing PC library justifies the extra monthly cost.
Final Thoughts
Microsoft has positioned Xbox Game Pass as the centerpiece of its gaming ecosystem, but with Ultimate now 50% more expensive, the service risks losing the affordability that made it so attractive in the first place.
For long-time subscribers, the big question isn’t whether Game Pass still has value — it’s whether that value is worth paying nearly $360 a year for.
