Game Pass Is Cheaper Now — But New Call of Duty Is Out

Microsoft just made Game Pass cheaper. That sounds like good news — and honestly, it mostly is. But there is a catch buried in the fine print, and if you are a Call of Duty player, it is going to sting.

The New Prices

Effective April 21, 2026, here is what you pay:

• Game Pass Ultimate: $22.99/month (down from $29.99)
• PC Game Pass: $13.99/month (down from $16.49)
• Game Pass Essential: $10/month — no change
• Game Pass Premium: $15/month — no change

If you are already subscribed, your price drops on your next billing cycle from April 22 onward. No action needed.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma was direct about why this happened: Game Pass had gotten too expensive. Microsoft raised the Ultimate price by $10 back in October, and it clearly did not land well.

The Catch: Call of Duty Is Gone at Launch

Here is the part that matters. Starting this year, new Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on Game Pass at launch. They will still come to Game Pass — but not until the following holiday season, roughly a year after release.

So if a new CoD drops in November 2026, Game Pass subscribers will not see it until holiday 2027. Existing Call of Duty titles already in the Game Pass library are staying put — this only applies to future releases.

For the average Game Pass subscriber who plays a little of everything, this is probably a footnote. For the player who bought Game Pass specifically to play Call of Duty day one? This is a significant downgrade, regardless of the lower price.

What Does This Mean for Game Pass Overall?

The price cut is real and meaningful — $7/month back in your pocket on Ultimate adds up over a year. And the library remains genuinely deep: first-party Xbox titles, EA Play integration, Ubisoft+ Classics, and day-one releases from Xbox Game Studios all still apply.

But Call of Duty is not a niche series. It is consistently one of the best-selling games on the planet. Removing it from day-one access shifts Game Pass from a deal toward something more like a traditional streaming service where blockbusters arrive late.

The move makes sense from Microsoft's perspective — they need to protect boxed and digital game sales for their biggest franchise. But it is worth being honest that this is a trade-off, not just a win for subscribers.

Is It Still Worth It?

At $22.99/month, Game Pass Ultimate still offers solid value if you play more than one or two games from the library per month. The math gets worse if your gaming diet is Call of Duty plus a few other titles — in that case, you are now paying for a service that delayed your biggest game by a year.

For PC players, $13.99 is a reasonable price for access to a wide catalog of games. It competes well with other subscription tiers in the market.

The short version: if Call of Duty is not your main thing, this is a straight improvement. If it is — do the math before renewing.