Shortly After Xbox Game Pass Prices Spiked, the Page to Cancel Game Pass Subscriptions Was Overwhelmed

Microsoft has once again increased the cost of gaming under the Xbox brand, this time through a substantial price hike to Xbox Game Pass. The subscription service, often touted as one of the best values in gaming, saw a dramatic 50% jump in price alongside a restructuring of its tiers, which are now divided into Essential, Premium, and Ultimate.

Unsurprisingly, the response from some subscribers was immediate. Pocket Tactics writer Sam Comrie shared on X (formerly Twitter) that shortly after the announcement, the page to cancel Xbox Game Pass subscriptions effectively broke under the load of users attempting to exit their memberships. Comments under the post confirmed that many players were experiencing the same issue, though Microsoft appears to have since resolved the technical difficulties.

The page to cancel Game Pass subscriptions is broken already, incredible https://t.co/qTWLQRWRBs pic.twitter.com/yZjRCMGosk

— Sam (@_sunday_rain_) October 1, 2025

The incident serves as a reflection of how price-sensitive subscription services can be. At $30 per month for Game Pass Ultimate, many users are reconsidering the value proposition. While not everyone is expected to cancel outright, a notable portion of the user base may choose to downgrade from Ultimate to Premium or Essential, adjusting their subscription to better suit their budget or gaming habits.

This adjustment period could have wider implications for Microsoft. Xbox has already acknowledged that its console hardware will not provide long-term profitability, particularly as some major retailers have begun pulling Xbox consoles from shelves. Instead, the company has positioned Game Pass as its flagship growth driver, with Microsoft executives repeatedly calling it central to Xbox’s future strategy.

Yet, if enough users downgrade or cancel altogether, it could blunt the growth trajectory that Microsoft has previously reported for Game Pass. The company has described its ongoing investment in the subscription as its “largest to date,” underscoring just how critical Game Pass is to the Xbox brand.

As the new pricing structure takes hold, all eyes will be on whether Game Pass can continue expanding into the next fiscal year, or if higher costs will slow its momentum. For now, the brief collapse of the cancelation page is a symbolic snapshot of a community grappling with the growing expense of staying within the Xbox ecosystem.

Do you think Xbox Game Pass still offers enough value after the latest price hike, or will this push more players to cancel or downgrade their subscriptions?