The head of ID@Xbox has stated that Xbox has undertaken its most significant investment in Game Pass this year.

Chris Charla, the head of ID@Xbox, has disclosed that Xbox plans to execute its "largest investment in Game Pass to date" in the year 2025. During an interview with Eurogamer at Gamescom, Charla highlighted that most Xbox collaborators who have had their titles on Game Pass are eager to continue bringing their future games to this platform.

Charla mentioned, "Consequently, we have entered into agreements with over 150 partners to widen our library. Annually, we engage with numerous partners to assess forthcoming titles."

He further added that the previous year saw them collaborating with more than 50 teams to finalize their inaugural Game Pass agreements. "This year signifies our most substantial investment in Game Pass yet, and our commitment to offering a thrilling and diverse gaming lineup remains unwavering," Charla emphasized.

In July 2024, Microsoft raised the prices of its existing Xbox Game Pass tiers for new subscribers, with prices for current members also going up in September 2024. They also discontinued the Game Pass for Console option and introduced a new Standard tier at $14.99 per month, launched in September 2024. Subscribers to this tier face a wait of "up to 12 months+" for first-party games, unlike the immediate access available with other subscription options.

This pricing shift prompted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to file a letter with the U.S. Court of Appeals, where they criticized Microsoft for the changes, arguing that the company's actions contradicted earlier statements about pricing.

The letter from the FTC argued that the removal of popular games from the service, coupled with the higher prices for existing customers, exemplified potential consumer harm from Microsoft's previously alleged merger actions. This was in reference to the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft in October 2023.

Microsoft countered the FTC's assertions by labeling them as "misleading" and part of ongoing attempts by the agency to reshape its arguments in the appellate process, as stated in their response published by the company.

In October 2024, shortly after the pricing alterations took effect for existing subscribers, Microsoft reported a surge in Game Pass subscriptions with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. This title marked the largest launch within the franchise on the service and was the first Activision Blizzard game to debut on Game Pass on launch day following the buyout.

In July 2025, Microsoft announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025, stating that Xbox content and services revenue had climbed 13% compared to the previous year. Amy Hood, the executive vice president and CFO of Microsoft, attributed this growth to the robust performance of first-party content and Xbox Game Pass.