With all the backlash towards Microsoft this week, former Arkane Studios founder Raphael Colantonio has called out Game Pass as the “elephant in the room.”
Branding it an “unsustainable model that has been increasingly damaging the industry for a decade, subsidized by Microsoft’s ‘infinite money’,” Colantonio believes that at some point “reality has to hit.” “I don’t think Game Pass can co-exist with other models, they’ll either kill everyone else or give up.”
Responding to Michael Douse, director of publishing on Baldur’s Gate 3, who said the “infinite money thing never made any sense,” Colantonio said, “I agree, and I’m fed up with all the BS they fed us at first like ‘Don’t worry, it doesn’t impact the sales’, only to admit years later that it totally does. ‘No s*** it does! Really?’”
Douse did highlight how it could help provide recognition for “smaller teams with new or riskier IPs,” but preferred Sony’s “lifecycle management strategy.” Colantonio responded, “The only way Game Pass can co-exist without hurting everyone is for the back catalogue.”
While Game Pass started with much fanfare, its subscription numbers have slowed over the years. Despite this, PC Game Pass subscriptions still grew by over 30 percent in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025. Furthermore, developers like Rebellion have noted the service’s role in making its new title Atomfall a success. Pocketpair even highlighted how it’s “very worth” having your title on Game Pass after the success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Of course, whether the shoe will drop and developers aren’t offered as lucrative deals to bring their titles to Game Pass remains to be seen. For the time being, Microsoft shows no signs of stopping its own titles from launching on day one for the service. However, Phil Spencer said the company doesn’t want it to replace the practice of owning games. Head here for more details.