Game Pass has far fewer subscribers than Microsoft expected

The reorganization program of Xbox is moving forward, amid layoffs, cuts, and new projects. In the meantime, however, Microsoft's gaming division must contend with a significantly relevant issue. The number of subscribers to Game Pass is significantly below expectations, as stated in a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Are Game Pass subscribers few?

About two years ago, Microsoft reached 34 million Game Pass subscribers. Due in part to the price increase, the service started to see a drastic decline in terms of users, and according to the latest report, it now has about 30 million subscribers.

This is a number that is significantly lower than the target set by Microsoft, which aimed for 77 million subscribers by July 2027, as clarified during the investigations conducted by U.S. authorities before giving the green light to the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

In the past, some documents leaked online had confirmed Microsoft's goal of reaching 100 million subscribers by 2030. However, the numbers seem to be very different.

At the end of last year, the company raised the price of the Ultimate version, probably in hopes of compensating for the low number of users. Subsequently, with the change in management, it was decided to lower prices but with a change related to day-one game policies (particularly for Call of Duty).

The struggles of Game Pass were also confirmed by CEO Sharma during the announcement that led to the layoff of over 3,000 employees.