Xbox Game Pass Reaches 18 Million Subscribers According To Microsoft

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During the company's recent earnings call, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella divulged that Xbox Game Pass topped an impressive 18 million subscribers. That Game Pass continues to grow comes as no surprise. Since the service's launch a few years ago in 2017, Microsoft's commitment to providing users with value has yet to wane.

The overall value of the service can't be understated; for just $9.99 a month, or $14.99 for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, subscribers get access to hundreds of games, including first and third-party titles. Better yet, first-party and console-exclusive Xbox experiences hit the service on day one. This month especially is a boon for subscribers, given the imminent release of The Medium and the addition of the Yakuza Remastered Collection.

Evidently, millions upon millions of Xbox gamers are seeing the service's incredible value, too. According to details relayed by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in an earnings call, Game Pass just reached a subscriber count of 18 million. That's not the only reason the publisher should be celebrating, either. As relayed by GameSpot's Eddie Makuch, Nadella additionally confirmed that Microsoft's gaming division raked in $5 billion in revenue, the highest mark for a quarter in Xbox history. Third-party game sales accounted for $2 billion dollars of those earnings. And Xbox Live is making waves in its own right, having amassed 100 million monthly active users.
18 million is no small feat when considering that at last count in September 2020, the service had attracted 15 million users. Such exponential growth was likely fueled in part by Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax Media, Bethesda Softworks' parent company. Not long after the buyout's announcement, which should be finalized this year, DOOM Eternal landed on Game Pass - another move that probably contributed to the service's uptick in new members.

This year will undoubtedly culminate in the service's continued expansion. Microsoft's goal revolves around a stated desire to reach the world's three billion gamers. Xbox Game Pass represents one of the key paths to accomplishing such a monumental task. In addition to providing new gaming experiences, the company will further broaden Game Pass' reach by partnering with more platforms and offering a wider range of services. As a result, sometime this spring Microsoft intends to deploy cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on iOS and PC. Expect Game Pass' user-base to climb once more in the coming months.