History of Xbox Game Pass in Timeline

Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service offered by Microsoft Gaming, launched on June 1, 2017. It provides access to a rotating library of downloadable games playable on Xbox consoles, Windows, and via cloud gaming on various devices. Subscribers can play games as long as their subscription remains active. Additionally, members receive discounts on game purchases and DLC within the Game Pass library.

2002: Microsoft Acquired Rare

In 2002, Microsoft acquired the game developer Rare, which later contributed to the development and testing of Game Pass through titles like Sea of Thieves.

2013: Conception of Game Pass Started

In 2013, after Phil Spencer took over the Xbox brand, the conception of what would become Game Pass began as a game rental service under the code name Arches, later transitioning to a subscription model.

February 28, 2017: Xbox Game Pass Debut Announcement

On February 28, 2017, Microsoft announced the debut of Xbox Game Pass and released a limited catalog of games available to select members of its Xbox Insider community for testing and feedback.

June 1, 2017: Xbox Game Pass Launch

On June 1, 2017, Xbox Game Pass was launched by Microsoft Gaming as a subscription service for Xbox, allowing users to download and play video games on various platforms.

2017: Potential Addition of Backwards-Compatible Titles to Game Pass

During Microsoft's E3 2017 press conference, it was announced that selected Xbox titles would be made available through a new backwards-compatibility feature, with the potential for some of those games to also be added to Game Pass during 2017.

January 2018: First-Party Titles on Game Pass Day One

In January 2018, Microsoft announced that all new Xbox Game Studios titles would be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers immediately upon their release.

January 23, 2018: Expansion of Game Pass with Day-and-Date Releases

On January 23, 2018, Microsoft announced an expansion of Game Pass where first-party titles would be added to the catalog on the same day as their retail release, starting with Sea of Thieves.

March 20, 2018: Launch of Sea of Thieves and Introduction to Game Pass

On March 20, 2018, Sea of Thieves was launched and added to Game Pass on the same day, marking the first first-party title to be available on the service at launch.

April 18, 2019: Announcement of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

On April 18, 2019, Microsoft announced Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a new tier combining both Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into a single subscription package.

May 2019: Announcement of Game Pass for PC

In May 2019, Microsoft announced Game Pass for PC, which would be supported on Windows 10 and have over 100 games available at launch.

June 9, 2019: General Availability of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass Beta Launch

On June 9, 2019, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate became generally available, and Game Pass for PC launched in open beta, which was also included in Ultimate.

April 2020: Over 10 Million Xbox Game Pass Subscribers

In the Q3 2020 earnings call in April 2020, Microsoft reported that there were over 10 million Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

July 2020: Xbox's Marketing Director Comments on Game Pass Profitability

In a July 2020 interview, Xbox's marketing director Aaron Greenberg said that Xbox Game Pass is not necessarily meant to be profitable for Microsoft currently but is designed to attract more players through word-of-mouth by offering a large set of features as an underpriced value. The long-term goal is to become valuable to Microsoft.

September 15, 2020: Launch of Xbox Cloud Gaming for Game Pass Ultimate Subscribers

On September 15, 2020, Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) launched for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, enabling cloud gaming on select Android mobile devices with over 100 games optimized for the service.

September 2020: Xbox Game Pass Reaches 15 Million Subscribers

By September 2020, Xbox Game Pass had reached 15 million subscribers.

October 2020: Microsoft's View on Game Pass Pricing Model

In October 2020, Phil Spencer stated that the current pricing model for Game Pass was considered "completely sustainable" and there were no plans to raise the price in the near future.

November 10, 2020: Addition of EA Play to Game Pass Ultimate

Alongside the release of Xbox Series X and Series S, on November 10, 2020, EA Play was added to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on console and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Series X – 1TB Digital Edition

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January 2021: Game Pass Revenue

According to documents related to the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Game Pass had total revenues of $2.9 billion in the fiscal year ending January 2021, which was about 30% of Microsoft's games and services revenues, or 18% of its total Xbox business.

January 2021: Xbox Game Pass Reaches 18 Million Subscribers

By January 2021, Xbox Game Pass had reached 18 million subscribers.

March 18, 2021: EA Play Expansion to PC Game Pass

On March 18, 2021, EA Play was expanded to PC for both Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass for PC subscribers.

April 2021: Xbox Cloud Gaming Web Application Beta

In April 2021, a web application for Xbox Cloud Gaming entered an invite-only beta phase.

June 2021: Microsoft Announces Game Pass App for Smart TVs and Streaming Device

In June 2021, Microsoft announced it was developing a Game Pass app for smart TVs and a standalone streaming device, both based on xCloud.

June 2021: General Availability of Xbox Cloud Gaming Web Application

In June 2021, the web application for Xbox Cloud Gaming became generally available, compatible with PC and mobile web browsers, including iOS devices.

August 2021: No Plans to Bring Game Pass to Other Closed Platforms

In an August 2021 interview, Phil Spencer stated that there are currently no plans to bring Xbox Game Pass to other closed console platforms like PlayStation or Nintendo Switch.

December 2021: Rebranding of Xbox Game Pass for PC to PC Game Pass

In December 2021, Microsoft announced the rebranding of Xbox Game Pass for PC as "PC Game Pass" to reduce market confusion, while still using the Xbox logo for branding.

January 2022: Game Pass Surpasses 25 Million Subscribers

By January 2022, Xbox Game Pass had surpassed 25 million subscribers.

January 18, 2022: Game Pass Surpasses 25 Million Subscribers and Announcement of Activision Blizzard Acquisition

On January 18, 2022, Microsoft announced that Game Pass had surpassed 25 million subscribers and revealed plans to acquire Activision Blizzard with the intent to integrate Activision's game catalog into Game Pass.

March 29, 2022: PC Game Pass Preview Launches in Southeast Asia

On March 29, 2022, the PC Game Pass Preview launched in five more Southeast Asian countries (the first one was Singapore), including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

April 21, 2022: PC Game Pass Officially Launched in Southeast Asia

The PC Game Pass service has been officially launched in five Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, on April 21, 2022.

June 2022: Riot Games to Add Games to Xbox Game Pass

In June 2022, Riot Games announced that they will be adding their free-to-play games like League of Legends to Xbox Game Pass later in 2022, with in-game benefits for Game Pass subscribers.

September 2022: Friends and Family Tier Unveiled

In September 2022, a Friends and Family tier for Xbox Game Pass was revealed, with initial trials in Ireland and Colombia, allowing account sharing with up to four others in the same country.

2022: Game Pass Canabalizes Game Sales

In 2022, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority reported that Game Pass did cannibalize sales of games for around the first year they are present on the service.

February 28, 2023: PC Game Pass Expands to New Regions

On February 28, 2023, PC Game Pass expanded its preview service to several countries in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

March 2023: Discontinuation of Introductory $1/mo Rate

In March 2023, Microsoft discontinued the introductory $1/month rate for new subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and was exploring alternative options to attract new subscribers.

September 14, 2023: Xbox Live Gold Discontinuation and Merger into Game Pass Core

On September 14, 2023, Xbox Live Gold was discontinued and merged into Xbox Game Pass as a new low price tier known as Xbox Game Pass Core, offering a limited set of free titles to subscribers.

2023: GeForce Now to Offer PC Game Pass Titles

In 2023, it was announced that a selection of PC Game Pass games would become available on the GeForce Now streaming service.

February 2024: Game Pass Subscriber Count Reaches 34 Million

In February 2024, Microsoft announced there were 34 million Game Pass subscribers.

February 2024: No Plans to Bring Game Pass to PlayStation or Nintendo Switch

In February 2024, while Microsoft announced plans to release select Xbox exclusives on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, Phil Spencer stated that there were no plans to bring Game Pass to these platforms, retaining it as the primary destination for their first-party games on Xbox and Windows.

PlayStation®5 Digital Edition (slim)

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September 12, 2024: Pricing Changes and Tier Offerings

As of September 12, 2024, Microsoft made pricing changes and tier offerings: digital console-only tier purchases for new users are no longer be available, and a new Standard tier, excluding day-one releases, has been introduced. Prices will increase by $2-3 per month for plans with day-one access, ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 becoming a day-one title.

May 2025: Xbox Partners with Antstream to Offer Retro Games

In May 2025, Xbox partnered with Antstream to make numerous licensed retro games available through Antstream Arcade as part of the Game Pass subscription.