Microsoft just dropped a bombshell on gaming fans: the price of Xbox Game Pass is jumping up! If you’re an Ultimate subscriber, you’ll now be paying $29.99 a month instead of the previous $19.99. And if you were on the Standard plan, it’s being swapped out for the new Premium tier at $14.99 per month, which includes a few more games and multiplayer access. But hey, they also tossed in nearly 50 new games to check out, like 14 titles from Assassin’s Creed, Hogwarts Legacy, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and Tom Clancy’s The Division. But for a lot of people, this price hike feels like a punch to the gut.

In a chat with The Verge, Dustin Blackwell, Microsoft’s gaming communications director, tried to explain the situation, saying they know price hikes are never fun. They’re looking to add “more value” to justify the cost. After the bombshell dropped, the Xbox Game Pass site actually crashed from so many people trying to cancel their subscriptions, proving just how frustrated fans are right now.

But that’s not all—2025 is going to be huge for Game Pass with day-one releases like Avowed, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Grounded 2, and Hollow Knight: Silksong. Upcoming titles like Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2 are also coming in October. So, while some people are jumping ship, there are still some serious games on the horizon.

And if you’re wondering if this was a good decision by Microsoft, GameStop chimed in on Twitter, reminding gamers that buying used games and owning them is still an option instead of shelling out cash for a subscription every month. It looks like a lot of people are weighing their options right now!

So, what do you think? Are the upcoming games worth the price increase, or is it time to reconsider how you game? Keep an eye on these changes—you don’t want to miss out!