US EditionArkane Founder Calls Game Pass an 'Unsustainable Model' that's Wrecking the Industry
UNITED STATES, JUL 6 – Arkane founder Raphaël Colantonio says Xbox Game Pass harms game sales and risks industry stability after years of subsidization by Microsoft’s large investments.
- The creator behind Arkane Studios criticized Xbox Game Pass in a July 5, 2025 social media thread, describing it as an unsustainable practice that harms the gaming industry.
- Colantonio argued Microsoft subsidizes Game Pass with 'infinite money' but warned that reality will eventually force the service to either dominate or collapse.
- Microsoft raised Game Pass prices last year, shifted Xbox Live Gold subscribers into lower tiers, and spent billions acquiring studios, but recent layoffs and studio closures mar the landscape.
- Game Pass subscriptions reached 35 million by 2023, yet internal analysis shows base game sales decline after addition to the service, and many developers report lost revenue and devaluation of game content.
- These trends suggest Game Pass may be harming the industry’s financial health, possibly leading to fewer new games, developer layoffs, and a crisis that could affect both studios and players.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Xbox Game Pass Has A Dangerous Dark Side, Game Makers Say
Arkane StudiosXbox Game Pass has been billed as a great deal for customers and developers alike, offering access to a huge catalog of games for players and a built-in audience for the studios that make them. But after a massive wave of layoffs at Microsoft, some developers are debating whether Game Pass is worth the cost, or if it’s hurting the industry.“I think Game Pass is an unsustainable model that has been increasingly damaging the industry…
According to two renowned experts, Game Pass is destroying the gaming industry.
Microsoft is fully committed to the game pass when it comes to selling its games - a strategy that is increasingly coming up against the wind. Raphael Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios, finds the subscription model as "unsustainable" and "harmful" for...
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