Sharming.

Xbox could be planning another major shake-up of its Game Pass subscription service, this time removing key benefits the service is known for. That's according to a new leak from ResetEra user Slayven, who in 2025 revealed Microsoft's plans to raise Game Pass prices and change tier offerings, some of which turned out to be true.

Slayven's latest post said another rearranging of Game Pass tiers, and their names, is in the works. The service is reportedly going to drop slightly in price with the caveat of removing day-one games - new games offered on Game Pass the day they launch.

An ad-supported tier is also said to be coming, and cloud streaming is apparently being removed from Game Pass entirely. The change is reportedly due to take place between February and April 2027.

• Three Game Pass tiers, one with ads and two without
• Ad-supported tier to cost $13 monthly; ad-free tier to cost $20 (or $240 annually)
• A third tier with access to existing Game Pass library as well as online multiplayer for $15
• Day-one games removed from all tiers
• Cloud streaming removed from all tiers, with an optional $6 add-on bundle that grants 25 hours of playtime
• A family plan option available for $6 extra per month
• Online multiplayer still requires a subscription of $11

That's a lot to take in!

Microsoft hasn't directly addressed the specifics of the rumour but told Forbes reporter Paul Tassi that no changes are currently planned.

"We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don't have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalised. There are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one," Microsoft's statement read.

Beyond the volume of changes being proposed, it's unclear whether online multiplayer is included in either of the main tiers. The fate of PC Game Pass also remains unclear; Slayven said before, in 2025, it would be going away, which didn't turn out to be true.

Commenting on the new information, noted leaker NateTheHate vouched for Slayven, saying: "The individual giving them information clearly has knowledge of some matters. Whether the intended timeline stays true or slides about, we'll learn in due time."

Microsoft cut the price of Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass in April, but took away Call of Duty as a day-one release while doing so. It's not unreasonable to assume another change is being planned, especially given Microsoft's recent decision to severely limit Xbox cloud streaming across all three existing Game Pass tiers; the new game time-caps are not arbitrary, reportedly set at Microsoft's break-even point.

Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma previously said she's interested in offering new ways for players to obtain Xbox hardware and access its services. On Game Pass specifically, Sharma said in April, "we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around."

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