Xbox CEO Responds to Ex-PlayStation Boss’ Hot Take on Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass has become a hot topic in the gaming industry lately, especially after a report claimed that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has shared concerns regarding the current Game Pass pricing model. That’s not all; a report from last weekend also pointed towards new Game Pass subscription tiers that are currently under internal consideration.

One of those tiers is reportedly called Triton, which would include Microsoft’s first-party catalog from franchises like Halo, Fable, etc. Meanwhile, the second tier, namely Duet, hints at a potential bundle with Netflix. As of now, there are no concrete details to support this rumor.

Well, what’s confirmed is that the new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is quite vocal on the Internet and is leading from the front.

Game Pass’s assessment from an ex-PlayStation executive draws a response from the Xbox CEO

Asha Sharma has directly responded to comments from a former PlayStation executive who did not hold back in his assessment about Xbox Game Pass.

Over on LinkedIn, replying to one of the Xbox Game Pass-related posts, Shawn Layden commented, “They are trying so hard to will this into health, despite unfavorable diagnostics and a grim prognosis. A clarifying postmortem would do the entire industry some good.”

It looks like Layden believes the Game Pass subscription model may be under deeper strain than it appears. It also hints at wider concerns about sustainability across the gaming industry. That being said, what followed next caught attention. Given the rivalry in the gaming space, one would think that Sharma may have pushed back on the comments. Instead, she responded publicly, saying she would “love to chat sometime” with Layden to hear more of his perspective.

The response suggests a different tone from Xbox leadership, one that appears open to outside criticism rather than dismissing it. At a time when subscription services are under pressure to prove long-term value, it hints at internal evaluation rather than outright defense.

Rumors regarding Call of Duty games skipping day on Xbox Game Pass release

In other related news, it has been reported that Call of Duty games might skip day-one Xbox Game Pass release going forward. At this point, there’s no information about when exactly that will happen, but online chatter has been at its peak. Speaking of chatter, rumors are swirling around game exclusivity within the Xbox ecosystem, with a recent dashboard ad triggering the possibility that it could be happening.

All that said, it’s good to see Sharma addressing some pain points within the Xbox ecosystem. Only time will tell if the rumored internal discussions will have an immediate positive effect on Xbox Game Pass pricing. Not to forget, Asha Sharma also recently responded to a player who claimed that a new achievement update “bricked” their console.