Wild Xbox Game Pass Rumor Hints at Ads, Paid Cloud Gaming, New Tiers, Family Plans, No Day-One Games & More

Xbox Game Pass could be heading toward its biggest subscription shake-up yet. Well, that’s at least according to a new rumor that originally originated from the ResetEra forum. Per the claims, Xbox may be prepping cheaper plans, advertising, separate cloud gaming, and one major change to new releases.

Xbox Game Pass could lose its biggest selling point, per the new rumor

According to a ResetEra post from moderator Slayven, Xbox could introduce two main Game Pass options, one with ads and one without ads. The rumored ad-supported tier would cost $12.99 per month. The ad-free option would reportedly cost $19.99 monthly or $239.99 annually. That would represent a $3 reduction from the current $22.99 Ultimate pricing.

Shockingly, the post by the moderator also claims that new games would reportedly stop releasing day-one on Xbox Game Pass, starting somewhere between February and April 2027. Among the claims made, this has to be the biggest of all. If true, it would mark a major change for a service that has made day-one releases one of its biggest selling points.

The rumor also claims Microsoft could separate online multiplayer from the main subscription. A multiplayer-only option would reportedly cost $10.99 monthly. Players could instead choose a $14.99 plan combining the Game Pass library with online multiplayer.

Cloud gaming could become another paid add-on

Cloud gaming could also leave the standard Game Pass package. According to the rumor, players would pay $5.99 for 25 hours of cloud gaming. A family option could reportedly cost another $5.99 per month. The exact number of members included remains unclear.

As a reminder, Xbox has already started changing its cloud gaming model. The company recently announced monthly cloud gaming hour limits for Game Pass subscribers. However, the new prices and tier changes remain unconfirmed.

That said, popular leaker NateTheHate, who goes by the name NateDrake on ResetEra, also weighed in on the post, saying Slayven previously shared accurate information about Game Pass tier changes involving Core and Standard in late 2025. However, NateTheHate did not independently confirm the latest details. He noted that the source appears to have genuine knowledge, while the timeline could still change.

All that said, we still want you to take everything claimed with a grain of salt. None of this has been confirmed by Microsoft or any executives linked to Xbox.