Heading into the end of the year, Xbox announced that they’d be increasing the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by nearly 50%. As expected, the choice to do so was met with anger from the fanbase, and many were quick to cancel their subscriptions. Since Asha Sharma took over as the CEO of Xbox, she was quick to address the unrest and decrease the price, a move she is now claiming to have been very beneficial for player retention.
Just Game Passing Through
In a report done by The Verge, they obtained an internal memo that was sent by Xbox’s CEO, Asha Sharma, that detailed how the recent Game Pass price drop has impacted the company. Asha Sharma stated the price drop has led to growth in acquisitions and improved retention for the service. The memo also didn’t provide concrete numbers as to how many new customers they’ve netted since the reduction.
As stated by Asha Sharma, “Since our price reduction, we have seen acquisitions grow and retention improve, which is a good first step. We will not solve this in one moment or one launch.” Sharma also went on to state that the litany of problems that Xbox has faced over recent years hasn’t been fully solved, but they are on the “path to restore durable growth.”
Going Through Changes
It is very refreshing to see leadership at Xbox not only take into account the fundamental problems that exist within Xbox but also act on them. And while the small string of changes that we’ve seen Asha Sharma make over recent months are smaller in scope, they’ve landed well with the community, which is exactly what the doctor ordered for Xbox. With a sizeable summer showcase ahead of them, team Xbox needs to continue this positive wave of momentum and continue to properly navigate the stormy waters that are the gaming industry in 2026 and beyond.
