New Xbox Game Pass Announcement Leaves Subscribers Worried It’s Dying

A new Xbox Game Pass announcement from Microsoft has some Xbox users subscribed to the subscription service unhappy with the current state of the service and worried about its future. Xbox introduced Xbox Game Pass back in 2017, and since then it has evolved a lot. It has improved in many ways, but in other regards it’s perhaps worsened. Meanwhile, it has also increased in price more than once, which in turn raises expectations and unhappiness when these expectations are not met.

To this end, recently Xbox announced more games leaving Xbox Game Pass soon, which is to say, leaving in two weeks on March 31. And there are not only some notable games departing the Xbox Game Pass libraries, but a good number of games as well. Suffice to say, Xbox Game Pass subscribers, or at least some Xbox Game Pass subscribers, are not very pleased with this combo.

For those that missed it, the following games are leaving Xbox Game Pass: MLB The Show 24, Lil Gator Game, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2, Open Roads, Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza Like a Dragon, The Lamplighter’s League, and Monster Hunter Rise.

With these latest departures, the entire Yakuza series will officially be off Xbox Game Pass. Meanwhile, MLB The Show 24 is not being replaced with MLB The Show 25, much to the annoyance of many subscribers who have been enjoying the series on Xbox Game Pass the last few years.

“MLB The Show 24 leaves, 25 not added. All Yakuza games gone. Is it just me, or does every month have more games leaving than being added,” writes one subscriber of the announcement over on Reddit. “I’m enjoying Avowed. But, if you’re taking away 10 games from Game Pass Ultimate and adding 4 or 5 then I dunno.”

A second fan continues the concern: “I’m not sure about numbers, but it seems like we lose more quality than we gain each month. The games you listed, Lies of P, SpongeBob, and maybe some others (feel like I’m forgetting something) all gone this month. We got Avowed recently amongst a sea of indies. I’m not ready to say Game Pass is “dead,” but I think it’s on the decline, and it has been since the big pricing changes.”

These two comments about the announcement are not isolated, and they follow a growing concern from subscribers about the quality of the subscription service, which is increasingly relying on Xbox Game Studios day-one games. And of course, these day-one games are only available via the most expensive tier of the subscription service, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

“Am I delusional or are they removing more than they’re adding,” reads a third comment. Meanwhile, a fourth subscriber adds: “Dang, Game Pass is imploding.”

The future of Xbox Game Pass remains a mystery. It has not been attracting the number of subscribers Microsoft anticipated or needs to attract to be a viable long term strategy. To this end, price increases can buy some time, but it appears Xbox Game Pass will need some tweaking in the coming months and years. If that tweaking includes fewer and fewer games though, subscribers may depart en masse, if these reactions are indicative of anything at least.

All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think. Meanwhile, for more Xbox Game Pass coverage, click here.