Xbox Game Pass Sees Significant Drop in Subscriber Numbers

WHO:

Kotaku - Xbox, Microsoft, Asha Sharma (new Xbox CEO), Phil Spencer (former Xbox CEO), Sarah Bond (then-Xbox President), Matthew Ball (Xbox chief strategy officer)

WHAT:

Kotaku - Xbox Game Pass has reportedly dropped to 30 million monthly paying subscribers, a decrease of 4 million from 2024.

Kotaku - Microsoft had projected Game Pass subscriptions would reach around 77 million this year.

Kotaku - Game Pass had only reached 34 million subscribers by 2024.

Kotaku - Microsoft raised the price of Game Pass Ultimate to $30 a month ahead of the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

Kotaku - The day-and-date launch of 2024’s Black Ops 6 on Game Pass cost Microsoft roughly $300 million in lost revenue.

Kotaku - Asha Sharma's first moves included reducing the monthly price of Game Pass and pulling new Call of Duty releases out of the service’s library at launch.

WHY:

Kotaku - The decline in Game Pass subscriptions was attributed to a price hike and the poor reception of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which led to churn in subscribers.

Kotaku - The ambitious subscriber goal of over 100 million by 2030 was based on studio acquisitions and big game releases.

HOW:

Screen Rant - Xbox is undergoing its largest restructure ever, involving mass layoffs and studio divestment.

(UPDATED July 6, 2026 23:25 UTC)

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass has seen a significant drop in subscribers, now sitting at 30 million monthly paying users, a decrease of 4 million since 2024. This decline follows a price hike for Game Pass Ultimate to $30 a month and the disappointing reception of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which has contributed to subscriber churn. In response to these challenges, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is implementing major changes, including reducing the monthly price of Game Pass and removing new Call of Duty titles from the service at launch.