Microsoft Is Raising Price of New Xbox Games to $70 From Next Year

Cecilia D'Anastasio, Bloomberg News

An Xbox One controller sits on display below gaming passes at the new Microsoft Corp. flagship store in central in London, U.K., on Tuesday, July 9, 2019. Apple Inc.’s flagship central London retail store gets a new neighbor on Thursday, as Microsoft Corp. opens its inaugural European high-street presence just meters away. , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. is raising the price of new Xbox games to $70 from $60 starting in 2023, following other big gaming rivals from Ubisoft Entertainment SA to Sony Group Corp. and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.

The $10 bump, which was earlier reported by IGN, will affect next-generation games including Starfield, Redfall and Forza Motorsport, the company said in a statement. “This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles,” a spokesperson said. The games will be available as part of Microsoft’s subscription service, Game Pass, for $9.99 a month on Windows and Xbox consoles.

Many top games remained at a $60 price point for nearly two decades. In 2020, when Sony and Microsoft released their latest consoles, executives debated increasing the price in line with factors including the ballooning cost to develop games and inflation.

Microsoft said the company was holding off on the increase until after the holidays, “so families can enjoy the gift of gaming.”