Asha Sharma, Microsoft Gaming's new CEO, has put it plainly: Game Pass costs too much. In an internal memo obtained by The Verge, Sharma stated that "Game Pass has become too expensive for players, so we need a better value equation" and confirmed that a more flexible subscription structure is being worked on.
What Sharma actually said
The memo, which surfaced on April 13, doesn't dance around the problem. "Long term, we will evolve Game Pass into a more flexible system which will take time to test and learn around," Sharma wrote. That phrase, "test and learn," suggests Microsoft doesn't have a fixed plan yet, but the direction is clear: the current pricing structure isn't working for players, and Sharma knows it.
This isn't entirely a surprise. A report from March had already flagged that Sharma was eyeing a cheaper Game Pass offering, but this is the first time the CEO has said it directly in her own words.
How Game Pass got here
The context matters. Back in October 2025, Microsoft raised the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $30 per month, a 50% price increase. According to The Verge, that hike was tied directly to Microsoft adding new Call of Duty releases to Game Pass at launch. Absorbing a blockbuster franchise's day-one releases into a subscription has a real cost, and Microsoft passed a significant chunk of that cost to subscribers.
danger
Windows Central reporter Jez Corden recently said it's possible Microsoft could pull Call of Duty out of Game Pass entirely starting this year. If that happens, the pricing calculus changes significantly.The key here is that Game Pass Ultimate at $30 is now competing in a market where players are increasingly selective about which subscriptions they keep. A 50% price jump in a single move is a tough sell, even with day-one blockbusters in the mix.
The Netflix angle
Sharma isn't just looking at price cuts in isolation. According to earlier reporting, she may also explore a bundle partnership with Netflix. Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters confirmed the two companies have "kicked around ideas" for a joint subscription offering. Peters said he "wouldn't eliminate any possibilities" but was candid that Microsoft is still figuring out how to make the Game Pass bundle work on its own terms first.
"What I like about Asha's thinking is, it's all about, 'How do we do more?'" Peters said. Nothing is confirmed, but the conversation is clearly happening at the executive level.
Sharma's early moves at Microsoft Gaming
Sharma took over as Microsoft Gaming CEO in February, replacing Phil Spencer. The Game Pass pricing issue is her most significant public statement yet on the subscription service, but she's already made her presence felt. One of her first decisions was scrapping the "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign, which she felt didn't "feel like Xbox." That move signaled a willingness to reverse course on decisions made under previous leadership, and the Game Pass memo reads the same way.
Changes aren't expected immediately. Sharma's memo frames this as a long-term evolution, not a next-quarter fix. But the acknowledgment that the current price is a problem is itself a shift from how Microsoft has publicly talked about Game Pass pricing.
For subscribers who've been quietly grumbling about that $30 monthly charge, Sharma's memo is at least confirmation that the complaint has reached the top floor. For the latest gaming news and latest reviews, keep checking back as this story develops. You'll also want to browse more guides as Xbox's subscription plans take shape over the coming months.
