Xbox Responds To Rumour That Game Pass Could Drop Day One Releases In 2027
Update []:
Xbox has now officially commented on this rumour, reaching out to Forbes writer Paul Tassi via a spokesperson.
The statement explains that Xbox is regularly experimenting with Game Pass behind the scenes in regards to prices and tiers, and that there are no “changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized”, specifically mentioning that “there are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one”.
We should also reiterate that loads of day one releases have already been announced for Xbox Game Pass in 2027, including games such as State of Decay 3 and Senua that are quite possibly targeting a late 2027 launch.
Here’s a look at the statement in full:
“We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one.”
Original Story: We often like to share rumours that are generating interest amongst the gaming industry when they’re relevant to Xbox, but sometimes we avoid them depending on the source – and this is one of those rumours that falls into a grey area.
One the one hand, it’s coming from a moderator over at ResetEra that we’ve never heard of before, but they say they “don’t post rumors unless they’ve got some meat on the bone”, and well-known leaker NateTheHate has suggested that this person does actually have a track record with successful rumours in the past.
We reckon you should take this with a massive pinch of salt regardless (even the person who shared the rumour says you should!), but here’s what they’re saying they’ve heard for Xbox Game Pass in 2027:
- Xbox Game Pass will drop “day 1 new games releasing on the service” in early 2027
- Cloud streaming will be removed from Game Pass (new $5.99 option for 24 hours will be introduced)
- Xbox Game Pass Family Plan will be introduced for $5.99 per-month
- Online multiplayer alone will cost $10.99 per-month
- Game Pass with ads will cost $12.99 per-month
- Some kind of “Game Pass library” & online MP option will be $14.99
- Game Pass without ads will cost $19.99 per-month or $239.99 annually
“Grain of salt with any rumor. But I know the person and they’ve been right in the past. And I don’t post rumors unless they got some meat on the bone.”
Honestly, there’s stuff here that just doesn’t make any sense to us, such as Xbox Game Pass dropping “day one games” in early 2027 – there are already loads of them slated for next year as it is. It seems highly unlikely Xbox will cancel all of their day one deals for 2027, although perhaps the rumour is referring to first-party games rather than third-party ones.
The pricing tiers just seem strange as well, including the suggestion that Game Pass Ultimate is only dropping by a measly $3 per-month “because there won’t be day 1 new games releasing on the service starting Feb – April”.
It all just appears very vague with no mention of “Essential”, “Premium”, “Ultimate” or “PC”, so although it certainly could have some truth to it, we’re inclined not to read into this too much as things stand. It’s definitely getting a lot of traction on social media though, so we at least wanted to bring it to your attention.
Don’t expect this to be the last you hear of this rumour, anyway – various reporters will be tracking down their own sources to try and verify or dismiss it, and we’ll bring you an update to this article if more information comes out.
