Xbox Game Pass Lost Millions of Subscribers After Price Hike, New CEO Says
Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball revealed at Summer Game Fest 2026 that Xbox Game Pass lost millions of subscribers following a price overhaul in October 2025. The top-tier Ultimate plan nearly doubled in Japan from ¥1,450 to ¥2,750 per month. New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, in a Fortune interview published June 10, acknowledged the price increase made the service unaffordable and said subscriber numbers are now returning to growth after a price cut in April 2026 reduced Ultimate to ¥1,550 per month. Sharma also outlined a return to Xbox console exclusives, calling it a necessary path for the platform. He said the company will start with a few representative exclusive titles and plans more as the business improves. Sharma noted that titles already announced for multi-platform release will launch as originally planned.