Recently, Microsoft announced that the price for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has surged by over 100% in various countries outside the U.S., notably Brazil, Turkey, and Colombia. In the U.S., subscribers saw a significant 50% increase in their Ultimate tier costs, prompting many to consider canceling their memberships. The financial fallout of this decision appears to hit harder in international markets.

Microsoft Building

On October 1, further price adjustments were implemented, raising the Ultimate subscription to $30/month. Microsoft marketed this hike as a positive transformation, enhancing the value proposition with more features and an extended game library. For instance, the Ultimate tier now includes Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew subscriptions, alongside an expected 75 day-one titles released each year. Yet, despite these enhancements being consistent across regions, players in some countries are seeing drastically higher charges for the Ultimate Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price Doubled in Some Regions

According to reports from Tecnoblog, the cost of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate saw a staggering 99.9% increase in Brazil, rising from 60 Brazilian Real (~$11 USD) to 120 BRL (~$22 USD). Similar feedback surfaced in Colombia, Turkey, and South Africa, with some experiencing price hikes up to 165%. Frustratingly, key features intended to justify the increase, such as upgraded 1440p streaming via Cloud Gaming, are unavailable in certain regions. Thus, gamers are expected to pay more for less.

To better understand the impact of these price changes, consider that the minimum wage in Brazil is approximately 1,500 BRL per month. This means an average gamer might allocate about 8% of their monthly salary on Game Pass Ultimate. Hence, it comes as no surprise that significant backlash against Microsoft’s pricing scheme has emerged, with numerous content creators encouraging users to cancel their subscriptions to Xbox Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass

Some believe this price surge could be a pivotal moment, potentially placing Xbox at a competitive disadvantage in the console market. Whether this backlash will influence Microsoft to base its Xbox Game Pass strategy away from the U.S. remains to be seen, as does the potential fallout from new tiers on subscriber numbers and possible financial repercussions from increased cancellations.