Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price Jump Causes Website Crash

[cryptohog]

Microsoft’s website crashed on Oct. 1, 2025, following the announcement of a 50% increase in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate pricing, from $19.99/month to $29.99/month. The spike in traffic came as users rushed to cancel subscriptions ahead of the change.

The timing coincides with an upcoming Xbox Series X|S price increase in the U.S., effective Oct. 3, 2025. Meanwhile, retailers including Amazon, GameStop, Walmart, and Best Buy are still distributing subscription codes at the original $19.99 price, with some offering 3-month bundles for $59.00.

GameStop has even leveraged the situation as part of a marketing campaign, signaling a unique opportunity for gamers looking to lock in the older rate.

[Rimon Khan]

A 50% jump to $29.99/month was always going to trigger churn—crashing the site just proves the value prop isn’t landing. If perks don’t expand fast (PC day-one, cloud, family), cancellations will keep spiking.

[EmTeam]

Play it smart: lock in discounted codes, switch to Core/PC tiers, or pause until a promo hits. If Microsoft wants $30, they need to justify it with exclusive drops, better cloud, and real regional pricing.