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Microsoft insists Game Pass prices won't increase over Activision Blizzard acquisition

Microsoft points to previous acquisitions like that of ZeniMax as proof that it won't raise Game Pass prices over the addition of Activision Blizzard titles.

Morgan Shaver

March 8, 2023 11:11 AM

Rami Amichay, Reuters

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Microsoft is still in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard, but has experienced pushback from a number of sources, including from the CMA. In a 33-page document responding to the CMA’s Notice of Possible Remedies, Microsoft asserts that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard won’t result in increased Game Pass prices.

It points to previous acquisitions like that of ZeniMax as an example, and notes that Game Pass will “continue to be constrained by B2P” with B2P referring to a business-to-person model.

As stressed by Microsoft, Game Pass prices seemingly won’t be affected directly by the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Instead, Microsoft points to the importance of things like increasing output of Game Pass by offering it at a lower quality-adjusted price. It also touches on how Call of Duty (CoD) titles are only released once a year and how “any impact would be short-lived” and that price increases over adding something like Call of Duty to Game Pass would be counter-productive and result in increased “subscriber churn rates.”

Elsewhere in the document, Microsoft talks about how its inclusion of Activision content in Game Pass would “push Sony to improve its subscription offering” by doing things like lowering prices before pointing to PlayStation+ prices currently being higher than that of Game Pass. Microsoft also claims that “Sony has already significantly improved PlayStation+ in response to the announcement of the Merger (introducing new tiers and adding additional content).”

As previously mentioned, the document contains 33 pages and there’s a lot of information included within that’s worth reading through not only in regards to Microsoft’s plans for Game Pass, but the Activision Blizzard acquisition as a whole, and its opinions on competitors like Sony.

Now that you’re caught up with Microsoft asserting it won’t raise Game Pass prices in acquiring Activision Blizzard, be sure to read through some of our previous coverage including how the EU is likely to approve Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and Activision Blizzard currently faces CWA action for firing workers for pushing back against its return to office policy.

Morgan Shaver

Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.