Xbox Game Pass Lost “Millions of Subscribers” After 2025 Price Hike, per Chief Strategy Officer

XBOX's Matthew Ball confirms that the hikes didn't sit well with much of its player base, though things have stabilized since.

Posted By | On 09th, Jun. 2026

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It was quite the blow when XBOX raised the prices on its Game Pass subscription service in October last year, with prices increasing by as much as 50%. We weighed in on that development when it unfolded, and it seems that we were right if recent statements from chief strategy officer Matthew Ball at a live sit-down with The Game Business are any indication.

Geoff Keighley was present during the event and tweeted about Ball’s statements, in which he said that the service lost “millions of subscribers” when it happened. So if you need any proof that the decision did not sit well with a significant number of the service’s player base, there it is.

Well, it’s good that things have been rolled back since then, and that the brand seems to be well on track to earn back our good graces. There’s that Limited Edition Xbox Series X and Controller to celebrate two and a half decades for the brand, and rumors that Project Helix might be all set to duke it out with the PS6 on its image quality. Well, here’s to hoping that the brand’s darkest days are behind it, and that the latter Helix sets it on course for a bright future.


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