Microsoft to Drop Free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for Most of Its 238,000 Employees [Update]
The new year is unlikely to get off to the best start for Microsoft employees. A significant part of Redmond giant's workforce will lose the right to a free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
Update: The Verge reports, citing an internal message from the Viva communications platform used by Microsoft, that Phil Spencer has intervened in the matter at hand and reversed the decision to revoke Game Pass access for the company's employees.
Microsoft is preparing an unpleasant surprise for its employees, or at least for a significant portion of them. As reported by Tom Warren from The Verge, most of those employed at the Redmond giant will lose the right to use their free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
- A large part of Microsoft's workforce, which currently numbers about 238,000 people, will lose free access to the most expensive version of the subscription, starting in January 2024.
- According to Warren, only employees directly associated with Microsoft's gaming division (i.e., the Xbox division) will be eligible for the free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
- Those affected by the change will reportedly be able to purchase a twelve-month subscription to Game Pass at a reduced price from the company's internal store.
It's safe to say that a new year always brings changes. Unfortunately, they are often associated with price increases or, as in this case, taking away certain benefits. Not surprisingly information about these moves did not please Microsoft employees.
Some of them have written on the internal communication platform directly to Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, to comment on the corporation's move. Apparently, he was not aware of these changes and will try to clarify the situation.
It is worth mentioning here that the editors of The Verge also asked Microsoft to confirm the removal of the free subscription for a significant number of employees - but so far the company has not responded.
Recent increase in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription
Recall that recently US giant increased the prices of its service. Recent words of Spencer also indicate that this is not the end of the story and that the cost of the subscription will go up again in some time.
Game Pass is currently said to be used by more than 25 million subscribers. Microsoft's plans for the service are very ambitious - according to the company's projections, the service's user base is expected to grow to 100 million people (both Xbox, PC and cloud) by June 2029. However, if the giant's flagship product does not expand its reach, Microsoft may even leave the gaming industry.
