Xbox has cut Game Pass prices, but it also removed one of the clearest reasons many players subscribed in the first place. According to an article by GameSpot’s Eddie Makuch, Game Pass Ultimate now costs $23 a month instead of $30, while PC Game Pass now costs $14 instead of $16.50, but new Call of Duty games will no longer be included on day one.

That changes the deal right away. A lower monthly bill is easy to understand, but so is losing launch-day access to one of gaming’s biggest franchises. For many subscribers, day-one access was the main selling point, not a side perk.

New Call of Duty releases will instead arrive during the following holiday season, which works out to roughly a year later. Existing Call of Duty titles already in Game Pass are staying there, so the change applies to future launches rather than older games already in the library.

The new pricing takes effect quickly. Existing members get the lower rates starting April 22, while new subscribers can get them right away. Game Pass Essential stays at $10 a month, and Game Pass Premium stays at $15 a month, and those tiers still do not include day-one new releases.

Anyone paying for Game Pass mainly to play big new releases on launch day now has a simpler decision to make: keep the cheaper plan and wait, or buy Call of Duty separately when it comes out.

Filed in ..