Xbox Game Pass Reached 34 Million Subscribers This Year

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Abiyan

At Tech4gamers, I cover all sorts of gaming news. Whether it’s a leak of any upcoming game or an update, an announcement, or a rumour, I like to write about it all. Over the weekend, I sit and write features where I talk about games that I miss or want to see return.

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Xbox Game Pass’ growth became a recent hot topic after Microsoft stopped providing new updates for the service. Following its milestone of 25 million subscribers in early 2022, Xbox did not confirm any more figures in 2023.

This led many to believe that growth had stalled. However, during the recent Xbox podcast, Microsoft confirmed that Game Pass has reached over 34 million subscribers to date.

Why it matters: Xbox Game Pass has not only been helpful as a cost-effective method of providing games to players, but it has also allowed many small developers to launch their games directly to millions of players through the service.

The latest Xbox update included various future business moves, including the arrival of four first-party games on other platforms. However, Starfield and Indiana Jones won’t be a part of these four games.

The team also discussed Xbox Game Pass, confirming a new sales milestone for the first time since January 2022. In 2022, Phil Spencer pointed to slower growth on consoles, leading to concerns from audiences.

However, the latest update confirms 9 million new subscribers in the past two years.

Now the 34 million Game Pass members can all enjoy the fantastic experience of Diablo 4.

-Sarah Bond

Meanwhile, Phil Spencer has assured fans that day-one releases are here to stay.

Amid recent concerns, many fans speculated that Xbox would limit day-one AAA releases for the subscription. However, this is not the case since Indiana Jones, Hellblade 2, and more are still scheduled for the service at launch in 2024.

It should be noted that this figure includes Game Pass Core subscribers. This service was formerly known as Xbox Live Gold, Microsoft’s mandatory subscription for online gameplay.

According to reports, 15 of the previous 25 million users subscribed to Game Pass on PC alone. Therefore, it is safe to assume that a major chunk of subscribers still comes from the PC audience.

Microsoft has once again confirmed that the service will remain exclusive to Xbox and PC.

Another major announcement for the subscription came in the form of new Activision Blizzard games. As said by Sarah Bond, Xbox is beginning to introduce these titles through Diablo 4, but more information will be revealed in the months to follow.

Abiyan

[News Reporter]

Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.