Microsoft apparently aimed for 77 million Game Pass subscribers by 2026. However, the number currently stands at roughly half that figure and is falling far short of expectations.
The recent layoffs at Microsoft and Xbox (more on this in the link box below) already don’t bode well, but now there’s also news about Game Pass. Apparently, it was also a contributing factor. In herwritten statementregarding the layoffs, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma explains in more detail,that Game Pass has fallen far short of expectations.
(viaPolygon)
According to this, Game Pass currently has around 30 million subscribers.An impressive number in itself, but not when you consider the target of 77 million users that Microsoft hoped to reach by July 2026. Accordingly, Game Pass—as a major gaming subscription service—doesn’t seem to have paid off for the company as much as hoped.
Excessive Spending and Expectations?
This target comes from internal documents that were made public during the Activision Blizzard acquisition proceedings. However, the 30 million users mentioned above do not come directly from Microsoft, but from aWall Street Journal report citing a source. So the figure hasn’t been officially confirmed, but it aligns with Sharma’s statement that Game Pass hasn’t grown as much as hoped.
Xbox last reported its subscription numbers on its own in February 2024, when they stood at around 34 million. However, according to Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball, Game Pass is said to have lost millions of users
when prices were raised in October 2025. If user numbers still haven’t fully recovered since then,a figure of 30 million subscribers doesn’t seem far-fetched.
0 million is still a massive user base and is on par with other comparable services such as PlayStation Plus (50 million) or Nintendo Switch Online (34 million).
So the absolute number here is probably not the problem; rather, it’s how it compares to the company’s expectations.After heavy investments in games and studiossuch as Bethesda and Blizzard to make the service more attractive, the company likely had much higher hopes.
Is There a New Game Pass Strategy?
Even aside from that, Microsoft has invested heavily in Game Pass, for example, tomake its own games available there right at launch or to purchase licenses for third-party games.As a result, studios also miss out on a certain percentage of (potential) sales revenue at release.
It’s not entirely clear where this miscalculation comes from. Either Xbox overreached, or the market developed differently than expected. The price increase could also have had a more far-reaching negative effect on Game Pass’s growth—even though the price was later adjusted downward.
That doesn’t mean the subscription is dead by any means, but Microsoft is likely working internally right now to rethink its strategy for the service and adapt it to current conditions.
What are your thoughts on Game Pass and subscriptions in general? Do you use the service, or do you prefer to keep buying your games? Let us know in the comments!
