“The FTC warned”: the American regulator called the increase in the price of Game Pass and the tariff without games at release “product degradation”

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), still trying to challenge the deal between Microsoft and publisher Activision Blizzard in an appeals court, commented on recent changes to the Game Pass subscription.

Image source: Steam (Grinchark)

Let’s remember that last week Microsoft announced an increase in the cost of Game Pass worldwide, the elimination of the ability to sign up for a plan for consoles and the introduction of an Xbox Game Pass Standard plan without games on release day.

In a new filing with the court, the FTC called the incident a “product degradation”: new users will not be able to join the $11 Xbox Game Pass for consoles, and Xbox Game Pass Standard ($15) does not include Microsoft’s most valuable games.

«”Removing Microsoft’s most valuable games from the new subscription, coupled with higher prices for current users, is the same harm to consumers from the [Microsoft-Activision Blizzard] merger that the FTC warned about,” the regulator said.

Image Source: Activision

The FTC emphasized that the increase in the price of Game Pass coincided with the addition of Call of Duty to Game Pass, and the console tariff will disappear shortly before the premiere of the newest game in the series – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, released on October 25.

«”Microsoft promised that the deal would benefit consumers by making [Call of Duty] available on Game Pass the same day it launches on consoles (without increasing the cost of the service based on the [Activision Blizzard] acquisition),” the FTC said.

Previously, the FTC filed a complaint with the appeal court due to the wave of layoffs announced at the end of January in Microsoft’s gaming division. The platform holder responded by saying that the regulator “continues to ignore reality.”