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Ars Technica Apr 21, 2026 at 18:18 Big Tech Rising Hot

Microsoft removes Call of Duty from Game Pass, lowers subscription pricing

New Xbox CEO says subscription "has become too expensive for too many players."

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By Kyle Orland Original source
Microsoft removes Call of Duty from Game Pass, lowers subscription pricing

Microsoft announced Tuesday that subscribers to its Game Pass service will see significant price reductions starting today. But those subscribers will also be losing included day-one access to Activision's popular Call of Duty series from now on. In the US, the price of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription will drop to $22.99 a month (from $29.99, down roughly 23 percent), while the more limited PC Game Pass will drop to $13.99 a month (from $16.49, down roughly 22 percent). Going forward, neither subscription will include launch day access to new Call of Duty games, which will not be available on Game Pass until the following holiday season. Previous Call of Duty games will continue to be available to Game Pass subscribers, though. "Game Pass Ultimate has become too expensive for too many players," recently named Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said in a social media post accompanying the announcement, echoing sentiments shared in an employee memo leaked to The Verge last week. "We’ll keep learning and evolving Game Pass to better match what matters to players."Read full article Comments

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Apr 21, 2026 at 18:18 Ars Technica

Microsoft removes Call of Duty from Game Pass, lowers subscription pricing

New Xbox CEO says subscription "has become too expensive for too many players."

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