EA Opposed Xbox Game Pass Family Plan, Reporter Says

Reporter Jez Corden reported that EA opposed Microsoft’s planned Xbox Game Pass Family Plan, which would have allowed up to four users to share Game Pass access at a discounted combined price. Microsoft ran tests of a Friends & Family or Family Plan through 2022 and 2023, then paused the effort at the end of 2023.

Xbox chief Phil Spencer noted the team needed to find a model that worked for both creators and players and said the company still had a roadmap to try again. Corden’s account states that publisher pushback — with EA singled out as especially opposed — contributed to the decision to stop moving forward.

Corden described EA, a long-term partner in the Game Pass ecosystem, as having ‘fully hated the idea.’ The report indicates other publishers likely raised related concerns. Microsoft ultimately makes final product decisions internally, but publisher objections influenced the outcome, according to Corden.

Under the test plan, multiple people would share Game Pass access for a lower combined price. Player feedback continued to request a family option; Xbox’s Player Voice listed a Family Plan among the top user requests at the time. Microsoft has not announced a timeline to resume tests or to bring a family-style subscription to market.

Microsoft has said any group subscription must balance the needs of players, creators and publishers. It remains unclear whether EA alone opposed the plan or whether broader contractual and revenue issues contributed to the pause. Xbox leadership has indicated a willingness to revisit family pricing if a model can be found that satisfies subscription partners and content creators.