Xbox Game Pass: Now With EVEN MORE Ways to Spend Your Money

Behold, peasants! 👋 Xbox Game Pass, your beloved digital babysitter, is getting a ✨*glow-up*✨ that will make your wallets cry. Microsoft, in its infinite generosity (read: greed), is shaking things up with new tiers, inflated prices, and perks so groundbreaking you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. Prepare for the future of gaming, where you pay more for less! 🤣

Xbox, bless its corporate heart, is “restructuring” (read: squeezing more money out of you) the service like never before. Since 2017, when Game Pass was just a glimmer in Phil Spencer’s eye 👀, we’ve had a simple, affordable option. Now? Three glorious tiers—Essential, Premium, and Ultimate—each designed to cater to your specific level of addiction… I mean, gaming needs. And, of course, prices are going up because why wouldn’t they? It’s not like inflation is already kicking our butts. 🫏

These price hikes are a “trend,” you see, a beautiful, upward spiral of expense that’s seen costs nearly triple in a decade. It’s not about making money, silly! It’s about “evolving” the service. Yes, “evolving” into a money-sucking vortex that leaves you wondering if you should just buy a physical copy of *Minecraft* and call it a day. 🧱

The new plans, for your viewing displeasure, are as follows:

Ultimate – $33.99 CAD / $29.99 USD (For the true believers, and by “true believers” we mean “people with too much disposable income”)🤑
Premium – $17.99 CAD/ $14.99 USD (The “I want most of the stuff, but I’m not *completely* insane” tier) 🤪
Essential – $13.99 CAD / $9.99 USD (The “I’m starting to regret this” tier) 🤔

Back in June 2017, Xbox Game Pass was a sweet, innocent child offering over 100 games for a mere $9.99 per month. “Affordable,” they called it. “A steal,” we said. Oh, how naive we were! That price held until July 2023, a golden age now lost to the mists of time. Then, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the “premium” experience introduced in 2019 at $14.99 a month, dared to increase its price to $16.99 in the US and $18.99 in Canada. The audacity! 😡

But wait, there’s more! In September 2024, Microsoft graced us with another hike, pushing Ultimate to $19.99 US and $22.99 CAD. And now, in October 2025, we’re treated to Ultimate costing a whopping $29.99 US and $33.99 CAD monthly. Do the math (or don’t, because it’s depressing), and you’ll find you’re shelling out $359.88 US or $407.88 CAD a year. That’s a 100 percent increase from the original Ultimate pricing, and a 200 percent jump from the service’s launch price. Bravo, Microsoft! 👏

But it’s not just about the money, okay? Team Xbox wants you to know they’re “rolling out [their] most expansive upgrade yet, including more day-one games than ever before, Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft Classics for the first time, upgrades to Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming quality, Rewards with Xbox, and more. Now players can have it all.” Because “having it all” clearly means paying through the nose for it. 🤡

They claim this increase is “necessary” due to “changing market conditions.” As if we don’t all know it’s because they bought Activision Blizzard for the price of a small country and need to recoup their losses somehow. They promise “added value” through larger catalogues and improved streaming, but let’s be real: you’re still going to spend more time browsing than playing. 🤷‍♀️

The latest update graciously integrates PC gaming into regular plans, removes the beta tag from game streaming (finally!), and introduces “additional perks” designed for those who “use the service extensively.” Because if you’re not living, breathing, and eating Xbox Game Pass, you’re clearly not doing it right. 🤨

Remember when Microsoft “retired” Xbox Game Pass for Console for new subscribers in 2024? Good times. They replaced it with Game Pass Standard at $14.99 US per month, which conveniently dropped day-one releases and cloud gaming. Because why would you want access to new titles when you can have… uh… slightly older titles? 🤔 It was a turning point, a moment where Xbox decided to split its audience like a bad divorce. Now, Ultimate is the only option for players who want everything. How… generous? 😈

The new Premium tier, priced at $17.99 CAD and $14.99 USD, is Microsoft’s attempt to lure in those who aren’t willing to sell their kidneys for Ultimate but still want *some* perks. You get 200 games across console, PC, and cloud, unlimited cloud gaming, and “select in-game benefits.” But no day-one releases, because why would we make it *too* appealing? 🙄 Essential, the replacement for the old Core tier, offers a paltry 50 games, cloud gaming, and online multiplayer for $13.99 CAD and $9.99 USD. Perfect for the casual gamer who enjoys staring at menus! 😴

But hey, Ultimate subscribers get over 75 day-one releases annually! That’s 50 percent more than in 2024! Plus, you get Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft Classics! Microsoft estimates these additions represent $38 Cdn in monthly value. So, technically, you’re *saving* money by spending more. Genius! ✨ Enhanced cloud gaming at up to 1440p resolution, more than 400 games, and a revamped rewards program offering up to 100,000 Store points annually (worth $100 CAD) further justify the increase to Ultimate. It’s a “premium experience,” designed for people who want the most from their Xbox subscription… and are willing to pay for it. 🤑

Xbox, in its infinite wisdom, highlights the games Ultimate subscribers can access on day one, including *Call of Duty: Black Ops 7*, *High on Life 2*, *Keeper*, *Ninja Gaiden 4*, and *The Outer Worlds 2*. These titles join a growing library of more than 400 games playable on Xbox consoles, PC, and Xbox Cloud, with over 45 new games added today. Highlights include *Blue Prince*, *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*, and *Hollow Knight: Silksong*, along with access to EA Play. So many games, so little time… and so much money to spend. 💸

This move, according to the suits, is all about rising development costs, those pesky acquisitions, and increased competition. It’s not about greed, it’s about “sustainable business models”! And, of course, it’s about extracting more revenue per user, because why bother expanding when you can just squeeze more out of the people who are already hooked? 😈

Subscriber growth may have plateaued at 34 million, but fear not! Microsoft is now focused on making each of those 34 million wallets bleed a little bit more. It’s logical, right? Especially when you’re facing the new sticker price. Shocking? Maybe. Inevitable? Absolutely. 🤷‍♂️

Team Xbox wants you to know it’s all about “meeting players where they are, so you can choose what works best for you, no matter how or where you love to play.” Which is corporate-speak for “give us your money, or else.” 😈

Despite this “flexibility” and “choice,” the reality is that players who want the *full* Game Pass experience are now paying over three times what they paid in 2017. It’s a testament to Microsoft’s commitment to “value”… or maybe just their commitment to lining their pockets. The added perks might appeal to some, but for casual gamers, the higher cost could be a deal-breaker. Xbox might see some subscribers jump ship or downgrade, but hey, at least they tried… to rob us blind. 🤡