The American retail giant is fed up with Microsoft’s move and has announced that it will not raise the Game Pass price: despite the official cost increasing to $30, subscriptions will remain at $20 in its stores and online.

This hasn’t been the best week for Microsoft. It’s not about another round of layoffs or studio closures, but rather the price hike for Game Pass, which, while offering more games and user-focused improvements, has reached a sensitive point in terms of pricing stability. Now, North American retailer GameStop has taken the gamers’ side and decided to stand up to Microsoft by continuing to sell the subscription service at the old price — both in its physical stores and online.

GameStop made a bold statement on social media: “We will continue to sell Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $19.99 per month, both in stores and online.” The post, accompanied by a promotional image featuring the message “you’re welcome”, makes it clear that the company has no plans to comply with Microsoft’s officially announced price increase.

What’s particularly striking about this situation is that while some retailers — like Amazon — are still offering subscriptions at the previous price while waiting for updates, GameStop is the only one to openly declare it will maintain the $20 price indefinitely. The legality of this practice is still uncertain, as it depends on whether Microsoft enforces a minimum retail price for its service.

Xbox’s response may not bode well for GameStop

The move has raised concerns within the industry over how Microsoft might react. While retailers typically adjust their pricing to match official changes, GameStop’s decision to stick with the $20 price in the United States could be seen as both an aggressive customer acquisition strategy and a direct challenge to one of its most important business partners.

It’s also worth noting that the price hike isn’t limited to Game Pass Ultimate. The Game Pass Core plan, now called Essential, has also seen its price rise from €6.99 to €8.99 — although new users can still try it for just €1 for 14 days. However, GameStop’s offer only applies to the most comprehensive subscription plan — and only in the U.S. market.

Source: 3djuegos