Xbox Game Pass Is Getting Cheaper, But Call of Duty Day-One Drops Are Ending
Xbox Game Pass is getting a price cut, but Microsoft is also removing one of the biggest reasons some players subscribed in the first place: new Call of Duty games on launch day.
As confirmed by Xbox, the change starts from April 21. Game Pass Ultimate is dropping from US$29.99 to US$22.99 per month, while PC Game Pass is going down from US$16.49 to US$13.99. Converted directly, that is roughly around RM108 for Ultimate and RM66 for PC Game Pass before any regional pricing differences, so Malaysian players should still check the local Microsoft Store pricing before celebrating too hard.
Still, the direction is clear: Xbox knows Game Pass was starting to feel expensive. This comes shortly after a leaked memo reportedly showed new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma saying the service had become “too expensive.” Honestly, not a shocking take. Subscription fatigue is real, bro — between Netflix, Spotify, Discord Nitro, mobile battle passes, and game subs, Malaysians are definitely counting monthly damage already.
The big catch: no more new Call of Duty at launch
The cheaper price comes with a major downgrade for FPS fans. New Call of Duty entries will no longer arrive on Game Pass the same day they release.
Starting with the 2026 Call of Duty, which is widely expected to be Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 4, subscribers will need to wait until the following holiday season before the game joins the Ultimate library. If that timeline applies to MW4, Game Pass users may only see it added in late 2027.
That is a big shift from Microsoft’s earlier post-Activision strategy. After the US$70 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition was completed in 2023, Xbox began using Call of Duty as a major Game Pass flex, starting with Black Ops 6 in 2024 launching day one on the service.
For SEA players, especially those who mainly play CoD for multiplayer with friends, this changes the value calculation quite a bit. If your whole squad jumps into every new Call of Duty at launch, Game Pass Ultimate will no longer be the “cheap way in.” You may still need to buy the new release separately if you want to grind camos, level weapons, or play ranked from day one.
Existing CoD games are staying
It is not a total wipeout for Call of Duty on Game Pass. Microsoft says the current CoD catalogue on Game Pass Ultimate will remain available. That includes Black Ops 7, Modern Warfare (2019), and Vanguard.
Xbox also plans to bring more older Call of Duty titles to the service over the next year. That could potentially open the door for games like Black Ops Cold War or even earlier entries, though nothing specific has been confirmed in the source material.
This part still matters for Malaysia and SEA because older CoD titles can find a second life when they hit subscriptions. More players means easier matchmaking, more casual lobbies, and maybe a reason for friend groups to revisit campaigns or Zombies without everyone paying full price.
Game Pass still has value, just less CoD hype
Microsoft is reminding fans that Game Pass Ultimate still includes hundreds of console and PC games, current Call of Duty titles, in-game perks, online console multiplayer, and other major day-one releases.
So the service is not suddenly useless. If you play a wide mix of games, the cheaper monthly fee could actually make Game Pass more attractive. But for players who subscribed mainly because Call of Duty was becoming a day-one Game Pass franchise, this is definitely a nerf.
Modern Warfare 4 has not been officially revealed yet, although leaks have already pointed to details like its setting and the possible return of a controversial weapon. Until Xbox and Activision show the game properly, the safest takeaway is simple: cheaper Game Pass, but no more launch-day CoD freebies.
Source: Dexerto Gaming
