Microsoft hits back over Game Pass changes saying the new tier gives ‘more value’

XBOX recently announced huge price increases across Game Pass, and gamers are not happy.

Not only will Xbox Game Pass prices increase across every tier, but Xbox Game Pass for Console has also been replaced by Game Pass Standard.

Game Pass Standard is not only more expensive than Game Pass for Console, but doesn’t offer players day-one releases.

The US Federal Trade Commission filed a statement claiming that Xbox is using its acquisition of Activision Blizzard to offer gamers a “degraded” product.

However, Xbox has denied this allegation, submitting its own statement claiming that the new tiers offer gamers “more value”.

The statement from Microsoft reads: “Microsoft is offering a new service tier, Game Pass Standard, which offers access to hundreds of back-catalogue games, and multiplayer functionality.

“It is wrong to call this a ‘degraded’ version of the discontinued Game Pass for Console offering.

“The discontinued product did not offer multiplayer functionality, which had to be purchased separately.”

Microsoft is alleging that despite removing access to day-one releases, the addition of online multiplayer means that overall gamers are receiving better value for money.

Further, Microsoft alleges that the FTC is only making these claims to “attempt to reinvent its case of appeal.”

Microsoft claims that in the original FTC trial, the commission was mostly focused on the company withholding access to Call of Duty from Sony and PlayStation.

The statement reads: “The FTC barely mentioned subscription at the trial, instead focusing on the theory that Microsoft would withhold Call of Duty from Sony’s consoles.

“[This theory] is now further eroded by Microsoft and Sony’s ten-year agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation – a contract Sony was ‘thrilled’ to enter.”

Whether the new tier is better or worse value will be subjective to individual players.

Those who mostly play online will possibly save money, while those who want to play the latest games will lose out.

If you want to read more about Xbox, check out the latest games on Xbox Game Pass.