US EditionSome Developers Turn A Stern Eye Toward Xbox Game Pass After Layoffs
NO LOC, JUL 5 – Arkane Studios founder Raphaël Colantonio calls Xbox Game Pass unsustainable, citing decade-long industry harm and layoffs linked to the model's impact on game sales, with up to 80% sales loss reported.
- Ex-Microsoft-owned Arkane Studios founder Raphael Colantonio criticized Xbox Game Pass in 2025, calling it unsustainable and harmful to the gaming industry.
- His remarks followed recent Microsoft layoffs that closed studios and canceled games, raising concerns about Game Pass’s financial viability and industry impact.
- Industry peers like Larian's Michael Douse acknowledged Game Pass helps smaller teams derisk projects but warned about the outcome when Microsoft stops subsidizing losses.
- Colantonio argued that Game Pass relies on a financially unsustainable approach, supported by Microsoft's vast resources, which has been negatively impacting the gaming industry over the past ten years. He also proposed that Game Pass should be limited to older titles to avoid further harm.
- Despite Xbox content growing 8% year-over-year partly from Game Pass, ongoing debate questions the subscription’s long-term effects and sustainability across the gaming sector.
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In the Wake of Xbox Layoffs, Founder of Dishonored and Prey Dev Arkane Slams Game Pass: 'Why Is No-One Talking About the Elephant in the Room?'
Hot on the heels of the layoffs that have swept through Xbox, the founder of Microsoft-owned Arkane Studios has hit out at Game Pass, whose subscription model he called "unsustainable."
·United States
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Xbox Game Pass actually *is* profitable and isn't quite the albatross you've heard it is — as rumors swirl about Microsoft's gaming business' health
From questions of cannibalization to degrading the value of all of gaming, Xbox Game Pass has been zeroed in on as a potential symptom of last week's massive gaming lay offs.
"The math doesn't add up": After the wave of layoffs at Microsoft, a developer is taking a merciless stance on the Xbox Game Pass.
Following Xbox's recent setbacks, several developers have spoken out to accuse Game Pass of being partly responsible for the industry's poor state.
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