Xbox is walking back Game Pass changes as history vindicates Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick's 2024 decision to keep GTA 6 off the subscription service. With Game Pass prices dropping and Call of Duty being removed from day-one releases, Zelnick's 'rational' stance on premium game launches looks more prescient than ever.
Part 1
Xbox Game Pass is walking back some of its recent changes, proving that Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick was right to keep Grand Theft Auto 6 off the subscription service. The new Xbox CEO announced this week that Game Pass Ultimate is dropping from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, while also exploring customizable plans that let subscribers remove less popular extras like EA Play and cloud streaming.
Part 2
This reversal traces back to August 2024, when Xbox made Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 a day-one Game Pass release. Zelnick publicly pushed back, arguing that offering a premium-priced frontline title in a subscription service day and date would temporarily push consumers toward subscriptions, but wouldn't change Take-Two's rational decision to keep GTA 6 off Game Pass.
Part 3
Zelnick's prediction has now come full circle. Xbox's new leadership announced that future Call of Duty titles will no longer join Game Pass Ultimate on day one — they'll arrive roughly a year after launch. The price hikes that CoD's inclusion necessitated appear to have driven subscribers away, forcing the recent price rollback and the removal of the franchise from day-one status.