- Former PlayStation exec Shawn Layden has suggested Xbox can’t save Game Pass
- Layden said Xbox is “trying so hard to will this into health” despite the current issues
- This comes after a leaked memo from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma revealed plans to “evolve” the “expensive” service
Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden has suggested Microsoft can’t save Xbox Game Pass, following comments made by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma about wanting to “evolve” the service.
Earlier this week, a leaked memo to employees obtained and reported on by The Verge showed Sharma admitting that the subscription service is now too expensive for members as she outlined a brief plan for how she aims to change things, writing, “Game Pass is central to gaming value on Xbox. It’s also clear that the current model isn’t the final one.
“Short term, Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation. Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system, which will take time to test and learn around.”
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Now, in a new LinkedIn post, Layden responded to the report saying Microsoft is trying too hard to keep Xbox Game Pass alive, suggesting the company can’t save it.
“They are trying so hard to will this into health, despite unfavorable diagnostics and a grim prognosis,” Layden said. “A clarifying post mortem would do the entire industry some good.”
Layden has been a staunch critic of subscription models for some time, calling them a “danger” to the industry that turns developers into “wage slaves” (via Games Industry).
In the same report from The Verge, it was said that Call of Duty and the release of Black Ops 7 was one of the main contributors to Microsoft increasing the price of Game Pass once again in October 2025.
Currently, the Ultimate tier costs members $29.99 / £22.99 per month, up from $19.99 / £14.99 per month. There are also reports that the company is considering combining Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscription tiers, which could mean some users would pay more each month.
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