Xbox Game Pass has become one of Microsoft’s biggest selling points over the past decade. However, one prominent leaker believes the subscription service could ultimately do more harm than good.
In a series of posts, Moore’s Law Is Dead (MLID) argued that Game Pass has become financially unsustainable and claimed it could eventually “kill Xbox” unless Microsoft significantly changes its strategy. While the comments reflect the leaker’s opinion rather than confirmed plans from Microsoft, they arrive as Game Pass continues to face scrutiny over its long-term business model.
According to the claims, Game Pass has reportedly fallen well short of Microsoft’s original subscriber ambitions. Rather than surpassing 70 million subscribers, the service is said to have reached around 30 million. This leaves Microsoft with the ongoing challenge of funding an expensive catalogue of first-party launches and third-party additions.
MLID also pointed to recent unconfirmed reports suggesting some Xbox studio heads are unhappy with Game Pass. He argued that launching games into the subscription service on day one can reduce their perceived value and impact traditional sales.
The criticism isn’t entirely new. Ever since Microsoft began acquiring major publishers, including Activision Blizzard, some industry observers questioned this approach. They asked whether the company was attempting to build a subscription-first gaming ecosystem that would only become sustainable at a much larger scale.
However, despite the criticism, Game Pass remains a significant source of recurring revenue for Xbox. With subscriptions ranging from Game Pass Core to Game Pass Ultimate, tens of millions of members still generate hundreds of millions of dollars in monthly revenue. This makes it difficult to imagine Microsoft abandoning the service altogether.
A more likely outcome, if Microsoft does decide to rein in spending, could be a shift in how Game Pass operates. Rather than removing the service, the company could reduce the number of day-one releases or become more selective about which titles join the catalogue. That would help lower costs while preserving one of Xbox’s biggest subscription offerings.
Microsoft itself has given no indication that it plans to scale back Game Pass. In fact, recent moves have focused on making the service more attractive to subscribers. This includes pricing adjustments and continued investment in new content.
For now, MLID’s comments remain speculation rather than evidence of an internal strategy shift. Whether Game Pass ultimately proves to be Xbox’s greatest strength or its biggest financial challenge is something only Microsoft will be able to answer over the coming years.
