If you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass or are thinking about switching to the Netflix-like service to play the latest Call of Duty or EA FC 25, you're about to see a very expensive change to the service.

Microsoft has overhauled its gaming subscription fees, with one plan jumping from £14.99 to £22.99 per month — a more than 50% increase. That's the biggest price hike since the subscription launched eight years ago.

It’s not just the prices that are changing. Game Pass' structure is being reshuffled to match the new tiers too.

Microsoft is rebranding its subscription tiers to better align with the alternative subscription from PlayStation, replacing its familiar Core and Standard tiers with new options, dubbed Essential and Premium. The existing Ultimate Plan will keep its name.

Existing Xbox Game Pass Core subscribers are being moved to the new Essential plan at £9.99 per month, while Standard users will transition to Xbox Game Pass Premium at £14.99 per month. Those already subscribed to top-of-the-line Game Pass Ultimate will keep their plan, but the cost will rise to £29.99 from £14.99 when the next billing cycle begins.

The new gaming tiers are titled Essential and Premium, with Ultimate remaining the same as before

However, many noteworthy new features come with these upgraded tiers.

For starters, no matter which tier you choose, you’ll now get access to both PC games and cloud streaming — something that previously only available in the priciest Game Pass Ultimate tier. Even the basic Essential plan includes console and PC titles, along with unlimited cloud gaming. That means you can stream not just the games in the Game Pass library, but also any games you already own.

Microsoft has kept the same three subscription tiers for its Xbox Game Pass service, but the names, prices, and perks included in each plan have changed with the latest shake-up

The catalogue of games available to stream or download to your console enjoys some new additions too.

Essential now gives you a curated selection of over 50 games, including favourites like Hades and Stardew Valley. Premium now bumps that up to more than 200 titles, with 40 new additions, including Diablo IV and Hogwarts Legacy. Ultimate subscribers will have access to more than 400 video games worldwide.

Microsoft is even promising over 75 new day-one releases each year, which means that you can play brand new games the day they're released without paying more than the subscription fee. This is a 50% jump from how many day-one games they offered previously.

Looking ahead, you can expect big launches like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, High on Life 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and The Outer Worlds 2 arriving as part of the day one release upgrade.

With the large price hike on Game Pass, some gamers are finding that buying games individually may be a better deal after all

Premium subscribers won't get those day-one releases, but Microsoft has committed to bringing all Xbox-published games — except the latest Call of Duty — to Xbox Game Pass Premium within twelve months of launch.

The Ultimate tier is trying to soften the price hike with some serious extras. For instance, you're getting Fortnite Crew bundled in from November 18 - that's normally £9.99 monthly and includes the Battle Pass plus 1,000 V-Bucks each month.

Want to avoid the £22.99 per month subscription for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? Loaded, , offers digital gift cards that unlock a 12-month subscription to the top-of-the-line plan for less than the previous price tag. Just £124.99 for the year, you'll pay a little over £10 per month for this plan.

Game Pass Ultimate includes all Xbox games from Microsoft-owned studios on day one, Ubisoft+ Classics with hits like Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and cloud gaming to stream a massive library instantly — no console needed

Popular online retailer ShopTo has also declined to follow Microsoft's lead and increase prices on its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. For a limited time, you can secure a 3-month plan for £33.85, which is £35 less than you'll pay if you subscribe direct from Microsoft with its new restructured plans

There's also Ubisoft+ Classics thrown in, worth £6.99 monthly, giving you access to games like Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

Cloud gaming is finally becoming available to Ultimate users, which allows you to stream and play a large library of console and PC games instantly from the cloud to a variety of devices without needing a powerful console or significant storage.

The rewards programme is getting a revamp too. Ultimate subscribers can earn up to £100 yearly (100,000 points) just by playing, while Premium users can grab £50 and Essential players £25. You'll get multiplied points on purchases - 4x for Ultimate, 2x for Premium.

Despite all these new features to look forward to, users appear to be anything but happy about the changes. They've taken to Reddit to express their frustrations.

One user who cancelled their subscription said, "been wanting a reason and they just walked up and handed it to me."

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Another wrote, "In other words, the last remaining reason to own an Xbox is no longer worth it."

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One user expressed how the price hike isn't budget friendly with their other current hobbies.

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However, one user is more positive that not as many people will cancel their subscriptions. "I doubt 10 million people are going to leave. Most will probably downgrade at best."

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When one user tried to cancel their subscription, it seemed like customer service had their hands full in queries when the price hike was first announced.

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If you're unhappy with the subscription prices rising, there is a way to get around paying full price.

For instance, you , to find discounts or free offers for Xbox Game Pass and games. It offers access to pre-paid gift cards that unlock subscriptions, like Xbox Game Pass or equivalents from Nintendo and other gaming firms, are a lower price.

All you have to do is visit the site, filter for Xbox Game Pass or specific games, and browse available deals. also offer extensions to provide price history, alerts, and reviews, helping you decide when to buy or redeem.