{"rewrite":{"id":"r_5c1f10596d2c84906d7b9769","clusterId":"c_41e7ff6017f6c6523e0812cd","slug":"xbox-game-pass-lost-millions-of-subscribers-after-2025-price-hike-cso-says","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Xbox Game Pass Lost Millions of Subscribers After Price Hike, New CEO Says","summary":"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.","whyItMatters":"The admission of a multi-million subscriber loss from a price hike, followed by a price rollback and a pivot back to console exclusives, signals a strategic reversal for Xbox under new leadership after years of pushing multi-platform releases.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eBall made the disclosure during a lecture at Summer Game Fest 2026 on June 8, as reported by GamesRadar+. Geoff Keighley, the event host, also shared the figure on X. Ball joined Microsoft as CSO on May 21 and is known for publishing the annual industry report \u0026#34;The State of Video Gaming.\u0026#34; He was likely not involved in the October 2025 price revision due to timing, but will be responsible for the service\u0026#39;s turnaround.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe October 2025 overhaul did not only affect the Ultimate plan. The \u0026#34;Standard\u0026#34; plan at ¥1,100 was replaced by the \u0026#34;Premium\u0026#34; plan at ¥1,300, and the \u0026#34;Core\u0026#34; plan at ¥842 was replaced by the \u0026#34;Essential\u0026#34; plan at ¥850. The PC-oriented \u0026#34;PC Game Pass\u0026#34; rose from ¥990 to ¥1,550 per month. Benefits also changed across all tiers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Fortune interview, Sharma outlined three pledges for his first 100 days as CEO: \u0026#34;protect great games, drive Xbox\u0026#39;s revival, and talk about the future of gaming.\u0026#34; He described the showcase as featuring two new exclusive titles and a 25th-anniversary special edition console. Sharma said subscriber numbers are now increasing and user retention is starting to improve. He added, \u0026#34;This summer, we plan to take further steps to meet the needs of all types of players and offer more flexible services.\u0026#34;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the return to exclusives, Sharma said, \u0026#34;We\u0026#39;ll start with a few representative exclusive titles, and as the business improves, we want to do more.\u0026#34; He called the shift \u0026#34;a path we must take\u0026#34; for the platform\u0026#39;s survival. He noted that Xbox CCO Matt Booty previously said exclusivity decisions would be made case by case. Sharma\u0026#39;s first video game was \u0026#34;Star Fox,\u0026#34; and his first game on Xbox was \u0026#34;Halo.\u0026#34;\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Xbox CSO Matthew Ball: 'We lost millions of subscribers within a few months' after the October 2025 Game Pass price hike. New CEO Asha Sharma cut prices in April and says subs are growing again.","twitterPost":"New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma on exclusives: 'It's hard to find examples of platforms without exclusive services or content. This is a path we must take.' Clockwork Revolution and Gears of War: E-Day are the first two.","threadsPost":"Ball joined as CSO on May 21, after the subscriber loss and price hike. Sharma already called Game Pass too expensive. Ball's turnaround strategy has to work within that constraint, not around it.","newsletterBlurb":"Xbox Game Pass lost millions of subscribers after a 50% price hike in October 2025, according to new CSO Matthew Ball. New CEO Asha Sharma has since cut prices and is bringing back console exclusives as a platform survival strategy.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260609-448474/\",\"title\":\"Xbox Game Pass Lost 'Millions' of Subscribers After Major Price Hike Last Year, New Management's Turnaround Strategy Revealed\"},{\"source\":\"GIGAZINE\",\"url\":\"https://gigazine.net/news/20260609-xbox-game-pass-lost-millions-players-price-hikes/\",\"title\":\"Xbox Executive Reveals 'We Lost Millions of Users' Due to Xbox Game Pass Price Hikes\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/10/167802.html\",\"title\":\"New Xbox CEO Explains Return to Exclusive Titles, Mentions Game Pass Price Hike Led to Subscriber Decline but Price Cut Is Returning to Growth Trajectory\"},{\"source\":\"GameBusiness.jp\",\"url\":\"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/06/10/27180.html\",\"title\":\"New Xbox CEO Explains Return to Exclusive Titles Strategy, Mentions Game Pass Price Hike Led to Subscriber Decline but Price Cut Is Bringing Growth Back on Track\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":11766,"outputTokens":1349,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1780973709,"createdAt":"2026-06-09T02:48:54.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-09T02:52:07.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-09T02:52:07.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_41e7ff6017f6c6523e0812cd","canonicalTitle":"Xbox Game Passユーザー、去年の大幅値上げ後に“数百万人規模”で減っていた。新経営陣による立て直しの背景明らかに","representativeArticleId":"a_12614b1d98c94aea607c7ba7","sourceCount":6,"writtenSourceCount":4,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Xbox Game Pass\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-09T02:02:48.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-11T11:30:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-11T11:40:01.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GAME Watch (Impress)","url":"https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/2116221.html","title":"「XBOX」の現状を伝える新CEOのブログが公開。ハードの危機に直面、サブスクは再び成長軌道に"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260611n","title":"Xboxのアシャ・シャルマCEO、従業員に向けたメッセージ「Next 100 Days: XBOX Reset」を公開。メモリなどの部品高騰によるコンソールの生産不足など、事業立て直しに向けた“5つの課題”を共有"},{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260611-449106/","title":"マイクロソフトのXBOX部門でまもなく大規模レイオフ実施予定との報道。「XBOXリセット」を掲げる新方針で、早くも組織再編か"},{"source":"GameBusiness.jp","url":"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/06/11/27191.html","title":"XBOXは「このままでは続けられない」―新CEOアーシャ・シャルマ氏が厳しい現状を共有。事業リセットを宣言"},{"source":"GIGAZINE","url":"https://gigazine.net/news/20260611-xbox-ceo-reset/","title":"XBOXの新CEOが「事業のリセット」を宣言、大規模な人員削減と大幅な予算削減を計画か"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/11/167844.html","title":"XBOXは「このままでは続けられない」―新CEOアーシャ・シャルマ氏が厳しい現状を共有。事業リセットを宣言"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Xbox Game Pass"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Xbox Game Pass lost millions of subscribers after a price overhaul in October 2025, Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball disclosed at Summer Game Fest 2026 on June 8.","The top-tier Ultimate plan nearly doubled in Japan from ¥1,450 to ¥2,750 per month in October 2025, and was reduced to ¥1,550 per month in April 2026.","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.","Sharma outlined a return to Xbox console exclusives, calling it 'a path we must take' for the platform's survival, starting with a few representative exclusive titles.","Titles already announced for multi-platform release will launch as originally planned, Sharma said."]}