Xbox Game Pass is shaking things up again. After dropping the price of the Ultimate tier from $30 to $23 by cutting out day-one Call of Duty releases, Microsoft seems to be cooking up a brand-new way to subscribe. Imagine building your own Game Pass plan, picking only the games and features you actually want, and paying just for those. Sounds pretty good, right?
Custom Game Pass Plans? Microsoft’s Testing Something New
Reports say Xbox is working on a “pick-your-own” model that would let you customize your subscription. Instead of getting a fixed package, you’d choose which parts of Game Pass you want. Don’t care about Xbox Cloud Gaming? Drop it and pay less. Not into Fortnite Crew? Cut that out. Want to add day-one Xbox releases or toss in other extras like EA Play or Ubisoft Classics? You’d be able to mix and match to fit your gaming taste.
RUMOR | “Microsoft sources tell me that a pick-your-own-plan formula for Game Pass is on the cards”
Microsoft sources tell me that the longer-term goal for Xbox Game Pass is to make it more flexible. A sort of "pick your own plan" formula for Xbox Game Pass is on the cards,… pic.twitter.com/kh0HqKSXNd
— Idle Sloth (@IdleSloth84_) April 22, 2026This would be a big shift from how Game Pass works now, where you pay for an all-in-one bundle. The idea is to make the service more flexible so you’re not forced to pay for stuff you don’t use. It’s kind of like how Amazon Prime Video lets you add extra channels when you want, then drop them later.
Behind the scenes, Xbox’s back-end APIs have leaked codenames like “Duet” and “Triton,” hinting at these modular packages coming soon. There’s even talk about adding subscriptions outside gaming, like Netflix, or the long-rumored Game Pass Family Plan. Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma mentioned in a memo that evolving Game Pass into a more flexible system is a long-term goal, but it’ll take time and testing to get it right.
Why This Matters After Call of Duty Got Kicked Out
Remember when Call of Duty left the Ultimate tier? That move dropped the price from around $30 to $23 per month, which was a relief for many who never played CoD. But it also showed Microsoft’s struggle to balance the value of including big-name games while keeping prices reasonable.
Now, imagine if you could go even further. Say you don’t play sports games and want to ditch EA Play for some extra savings. Or maybe you want to skip Fortnite Crew because it’s just hanging there, unused every month. This new plan could let you tailor Game Pass exactly how you want, instead of paying for a big bundle you only partly use.
This could bring back some of the “best deal in gaming” feeling Game Pass had when it launched. More choice and better pricing options mean gamers can find the sweet spot that fits their habits and wallets.
But Could This Get Messy? Microsoft’s History Warns Us
Of course, there’s a chance this new model could go wrong. Breaking up the Ultimate tier into pieces might make the service pricier if you want most features back. Imagine paying extra just for online multiplayer, or having to add costly bundles to get day-one releases again. That kind of stuff could frustrate players.
Still, the potential is there for something better. A system where you pay for what you use, add or remove features on the fly, and avoid wasting money on unwanted extras sounds like a step forward. And with Microsoft testing this approach, we might see a more personalized Game Pass experience soon.
For now, Microsoft hasn’t confirmed anything official. But the buzz around this “pick-your-own” plan shows they’re listening to gamers who want more control and better value. Fingers crossed it turns out as good as it sounds.
