Microsoft has made its first Xbox Game Pass lineup announcement since its controversial decision to raise the price of the Ultimate subscription.
Last week, Microsoft sparked a backlash with its decision to raise the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $19.99 a month to $29.99 a month (a 50% increase that amounts to an extra $120 a year).
To justify the price hike, Microsoft upped the number of day one releases per year to 75, and added Fortnite Crew and Ubisoft+ Classics for the first time ever. There were also upgrades to Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming quality.
Microsoft insisted the new $30 a month Ultimate price reflects “the expanded catalog, new partner benefits, and upgraded cloud gaming experience.”
But that didn’t stop fans from reassessing whether Game Pass remained right for them. IGN’s poll on the issue, which now has over 42,000 voters, shows 53.9% of our audience will not subscribe to Game Pass at all. 19.8% said they were going for Ultimate despite the price rise.
Still, Microsoft has soldiered on with its Game Pass lineup announcement for October 2025, revealing the games subscribers can expect in a post on Xbox Wire.
There are some big first-party hitters in here, including Double Fine’s Keeper, and the Xbox Game Studios’ published Ninja Gaiden 4. There’s also Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Editions on PC, and the day one release of Ball x Pit.
Xbox Game Pass Wave 1 October 2025 lineup:
- October 8: Supermarket Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC) Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- October 9: Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Editions (PC) Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- October 14: The Casting of Frank Stone (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- October 15: Ball x Pit (Cloud, Console, and PC) Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- October 15: The Grinch: Christmas Adventures (Cloud, Console, and PC) Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- October 15: Eternal Strands (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) Now with Game Pass Premium
- October 15: He Is Coming (Game Preview) (PC) Now with Game Pass Premium
- October 15: Ninja Gaiden 2 Black (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) Now with Game Pass Premium
- October 16: Pax Dei (PC) Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- October 17: Keeper (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
- October 21: Evil West (Cloud, Console, and PC) Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
- October 21: Ninja Gaiden 4 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Meanwhile, leaving Game Pass in October are Cocoon, Core Keeper, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutants Unleashed.
Leaving Xbox Game Pass on October 15, 2025:
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon. You can save up to 20% off your purchase.
- Cocoon (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Core Keeper (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutants Unleashed (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The updated pricing went into effect on October 1 for new subscribers, and was set to kick in on November 4 for all current subscribers. But Microsoft has confirmed it has delayed the Ultimate price hike in some countries, such as Ireland and South Korea. Unfortunately for subscribers in the U.S. and UK, this does not apply to them.
This week, Microsoft confirmed it had also scrapped the Xbox Game Pass discount on DLC purchases, giving subscribers more points for use in its Rewards scheme instead. That change hasn’t gone down well, either.
The cost of being an Xbox fan has been a hot topic in recent months. After announcing a jump to $80 for its games due out this holiday, Microsoft back-tracked to stick with $70 for the likes of The Outer Worlds 2. And just last month Microsoft raised the price of Xbox consoles in the U.S. “due to changes in the macroeconomic environment.”
Microsoft similarly raised eyebrows when it confirmed a $999.99 price tag for the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally X handheld, and $599.99 for the ROG Xbox Ally.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
