Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass far below subscriber target

Xbox Game Pass currently has roughly 30 million subscribers, far short of Microsoft’s internal goal of 77 million users by 2026 – a gap of about 47 million. The shortfall was highlighted by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who linked it to a price increase in late 2025 that caused a loss of millions of subscribers, and to slower growth than expected after the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Internal documents revealed the target was built into the $69 billion acquisition modeling, with an even larger 100 million goal by 2030. The service’s subscriber base fell from around 34 million in February 2024 to the current figure, prompting price cuts, the removal of Call of Duty as a day‑one title, and the closure of several studios that were intended to supply exclusive content. Microsoft now faces lower margins on its Xbox division and is reassessing the subscription strategy amid broader Xbox restructuring and job cuts.