Xbox Pauses New Game Pass Deals as Third-Party Developers Report Pulled Offers

3 articles · Updated · Insider Gaming · Jun 29

Fernando Rizo said developers in advanced talks for Game Pass deals were abruptly cut off, describing new third-party agreements as effectively "on pause" based on trade-show conversations in Italy.
Those claims point to Xbox slowing or freezing additions to the subscription catalog after CEO Asha Sharma began reviewing Game Pass earlier this year with a focus on making it more affordable.
The reported pullback follows weeks of pressure on Xbox, including layoffs, price increases and broader questions about the ecosystem's direction, and could narrow the mix of games reaching Game Pass.
Xbox had not publicly clarified the situation at publication, leaving developers and subscribers watching for whether the pause becomes a longer-term strategy reset.