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Microsoft is removing the free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefit for most of its 238,000 employees and some aren’t happy about it. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the company started informing employees this week that in January 2024 the free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate benefit for permanent Microsoft employees will no longer be available.

I understand that Xbox employees will continue to keep the benefit, but the vast majority of Microsoft employees who aren’t part of Xbox / Microsoft Gaming will see the benefit disappear next year. Microsoft employees will be able to purchase a discounted 12-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription at the company’s internal store.

Some Microsoft employees have taken to the company’s internal messaging platform to voice their objections about the benefit being removed. The employee posts even prompted Xbox chief Phil Spencer to respond, noting that he wasn’t aware of the changes and is looking into the situation.

We’ve reached out to Microsoft to comment on the Game Pass removal, but the company didn’t respond in time for publication.

The removal of the Microsoft employee benefit comes months after Xbox Game Pass saw a price hike for the first time. Microsoft moved Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $14.99 per month to $16.99, alongside price increases for the Xbox Series X console in most markets outside the US. Microsoft also launched Xbox Game Pass Core in September to replace Xbox Live Gold.

Xbox chief Phil Spencer warned more than a year ago that Xbox Game Pass growth on console had slowed down, with Microsoft choosing to focus more on PC Game Pass throughout 2023. Microsoft hasn’t provided updated Game Pass subscriber numbers for nearly two years now.

Microsoft said Xbox Game Pass had grown to 25 million subscribers in January 2022, but we haven’t had an update since then — even as Starfield, Forza Motorsport, and plenty of other games have contributed to Game Pass throughout 2023.

Microsoft employees aren’t happy that they’re losing free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

The perk changes start in January 2024.

www.theverge.com

 

[Salty Popsicle]

 

[squarealex]

Karma

 

[Topher]

Seriously, Microsoft?

 

[Bry0]

 

[Fbh]

 

[The Pleasure]

 

[Venom Snake]

Oh come on, don't take the engagement from your own people..

 

[Topher]

 

[Negotiator101]

Phil will sort this shit out I'm sure. Not good if he doesn't.

 

[dotnotbot]

Seriously, Microsoft?

Microsoft being Microsoft, nothing new

 

[NEbeast]

This seems very fucking petty. This is a drop in the ocean for MS. I guess MS is doomed now? People have been saying that about Sony and they haven't done anything this low.

I

 

[The Pleasure]

Phil will sort this shit out I'm sure. Not good if he doesn't.

Haha no. He got got bad mama for the complainers

 

[DJ12]

If they can do this ti there own employees, shills going to be upset soon too.

As long as colt doesn't start batting for ps it'll be fun to watch

 

[Sushi_Combo]

What will Phillip K Spencer do next?

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Pay biches.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Does that mean the twitter astroturfers are going to start paying for their gamepass and consoles too? Lets see how they like it now lol

 

[Topher]

Does that mean the twitter astroturfers are going to start paying for their gamepass and consoles too? Lets see how they like it now lol

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

If they can do this ti there own employees, shills going to be upset soon too.

As long as colt doesn't start batting for ps it'll be fun to watch

Shills evangelize. Still cheaper than buying games.

 

[Kilau]

Look at the MS Holiday party GPU giveaway.

 

[Certinty]

What a shitshow the Xbox brand has become and it’s only getting worse.

Time to fire Spencer and whoever else and start a fresh book because fucking hell at this point.

 

[bitbydeath]

Big changes coming.

 

[Lillie]

now they cant buffer their sub count as high

 

[GHG]

adamsapple Riky DarkMage619

Post if you're ok.

 

[Skifi28]

Activision ain't gonna pay for itself, gotta squeeze everything they can. Phil is looking under his couch as we speak for change.

 

[Deerock71]

Seriously, Microsoft?

Microsoft has 70 billion problems, and 238,000 of them aren't one.

 

[Gudji]

Phil be like:

 

[The Pleasure]

What a shitshow the Xbox brand has become and it’s only getting worse.

Time to fire Spencer and whoever else and start a fresh book because fucking hell at this point.

Bond. Sara Bond.

 

[ReBurn]

I wonder if they had to pay taxes on their free game pass.

 

[Metnut]

This is just the beginning. Soon the games themselves will have to be monetized.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

What a fcking lame move. Microsoft isn’t hurting for money. This is something you do as like a last resort and needing to pinch pennies. Ridiculous. It costs them nothing to provide the benefit to their own employees. Most of them will not pay for it just because they lost the free benefit. Microsoft won’t see an ROI on this, just unhappy employees.

 

[Spukc]

that is pretty fucking dumb bro

 

[Aguero9320]

How is this news?

 

[GHG]

How is this news?

Well you weren't going to tell us.

 

[Topher]

 

[shaddam]

If they disband the xbox ambassador program I will cry

 

[AnotherOne]

 

[ReBurn]

This is just the beginning. Soon the games themselves will have to be monetized.

They'll probably try to sell them to you for like seventy dollars

 

[Giallo Corsa]

Defence force, ASSEMBLE !

 

[adamsapple]

adamsapple Riky DarkMage619

Post if you're ok.

Xbox employees will still get Game Pass​

 

[Topher]

Xbox employees will still get Game Pass​

 

[MC68000]

2.6 trillion dollar company, they can afford to take care of their employees. The employees are the reason they have the 2.6 trillion market cap. Not cool! Phil needs to reverse that decision, its the right thing to do.

 

[Belthazar]

God... With all the news lately it seems like Microsoft is counting pennies in regards to Xbox.

 

[rofif]

lol better buy PlayStation

 

[Rob_27]

Some strange decisions lately.

 

[King Dazzar]

Seems like a play straight from Bobby Wanktit's ABK guide on how to treat employees...

 

[xrnzaaas]

Are they taking away their consoles as well?

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Which employees? The newly acquired ones?

 

[Sgt.Asher]

Need to pump those subscription numbers.

 

[GametimeUK]

I'm not trying to make a fanboy point here, but I'm genuinely curious is PS+ is a benefit for all Sony employees or if its a benefit for just PlayStation employees (or not an employee benefit at all).