Microsoft’s plans for a family tier of XBOX Game Pass were scrapped because of pushback from EA, according to WindowsCentral’s Jez Corden.
XBOX‘s new feedback portal has resulted in a large number of community requests coming to light, including a desire for ‘completionist’ Achievements, similar to PlayStation‘s Platinum trophies, and the return of XBOX Avatars.
Alongside those requests are calls for a family tier of Xbox Game Pass, but it’s now been stated that pushback from EA ultimately led to that being scrapped.
EA Pushback Led to Game Pass Family Scrap
In a detailed post by Corden, highlighting the top 20 most popular requests through the XBOX feedback portal, the cancellation of a planned family tier for XBOX Game Pass “wasn’t actually Microsoft’s fault.”
Microsoft was testing a family plan for Game Pass, giving up to four users access to the library, even implementing it in Ireland and Colombia, before being shelved.
Corden states he was told that EA, a long-term contractee of XBOX Game Pass, “fully hated the idea.” He also described the company’s involvement as doing “the absolute bare minimum,” “refusing to put XBOX PC native versions with Play Anywhere or XBOX Achievements out.”
EA’s close ties with Game Pass are well-documented, with the subscription to Game Pass including an EA Play membership, resulting in major titles becoming available on the platform, although often with a significant delay after their initial release date.
It remains to be seen whether the community push for a Family tier of Game Pass will lead to a revival of the plans from Microsoft, or if the pushback from EA has resulted in the concept being canned for good.
Do you think a family tier of Game Pass is needed? Share your thoughts in the Insider Gaming Discord.
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Buy Take 2 and do it this time. Let EA walk.
MS should just boot EA from game pass and let them sell their own subscription through the console. It shouldn’t be tied to gamepass.
I’d argue it’s probably bloating the price of gamepass as it is, and it’s only keeping EA a float, because they can’t make their own PC service relevant like steam.
Wow EA truly loves to screw their consumers. They must forget we have to power to break them as well.
Kinda soft foot on Xbox part. EA essentially left gamepass and created there own and then gotta pay extra to play EA games through game pass. I say screw them! (its EA they deserve the finger) and do a family plan!
Well as someone that dropped gamepass due to pricing MS should just drop EA from game pass and let them use their own subscription. Let the Microsoft customers decide what subs they add on. Havnt played or bought an EA game in 15 years. Why are we paying for their greedy rinse and repeat trash titles?
All the ea titles are mid even my beloved ea fc not so good anymore, if ea have issues with family plan let them go elsewhere.
Game pass should be a stand alone service let EA come crawling back when they fail to hit targets. Games for gamers
With 2 children and myself, 3 Ultimate Game Passes is pretty expensive to keep going. I’d very much welcome a family option.
As someone who has multiple xboxs at home to play games with the family, a family tier of gamepass so we can actually use gamespass on the same game with 1 subscription for the household would be a welcome addition. There’s no way I would ever consider paying for gamespass twice in a month when it’s better to just buy the game the game question. In fact I only buy gamespass occasionally since the price increase
Why am I not surprised EA were the ones who nixed the family plan?
I’d snap up a Family Pass in an instant, whether it includes EA or not.
Come on Microsoft, make it happen.
I agree we should have family included with game pass. 2 people in the same household should not have to pay twice to play the same games. I have been with Xbox from the beginning and this really upsets me.
Been a loyal madden player for years, all they care about is money. We could live without the grimy companies though don’t care for the consumer. I say let em walk
This is why 2k is trash now. Thanks EA
Just drop EA from gamepass. Nobody plays their garbage games anymore. I haven’t actually played a single EA game in forever, and the ones I did I shut off pretty quickly. Take the price of gamepass down, add the family tier, and just let EA try to survive with the 5 subs they have left.
Since my son likes the Xbox I have not paid mine in a few years now .. and now they have increased the price of it
It’s a joke £40+ for 2 subscriptions i refuse to pay it so I pay for one for my son to play his games I cant believe it jumped from £15 to £23 a month i have been with xbox since they first released their console it saddens me that they have backed out of the family plan I was going to get a new Xbox and let my son keep mine but as their price has increased i just simply can not afford to pay the £40+ month EA games just seem to a little greedy in my eyes .. drop them and see how quick they will jump into the family plan it would benefit so many family’s that have more than one console
You do know the price went back down
Family sharing already exists on Xbox!!
I’m confused as why anyone would already be buying multiple memberships in a household? Begging for a family subscription now?
Just family share the existing memberships like everyone else.
I have been buying Xbox since the beginning of time, I was upset when they let their exclusives(Gears of War) go multi-platform I don’t see God of War multi-platform but I digress and now this!
“Hey everyone, I’ve been on this Xbox journey from the very first Xbox, then the 360, the 360s, the Xbox One, and now the Series X and S.(have both) I’ve had them all! I might even have that original one tucked away somewhere. But you know, we were promised a family membership for years, and it never happened. I lost one of my children while he was waiting for it to come fruitful, he lost his life battle before he ever got to see it, and now they’re scrapping the idea. I FEEL EVERYONE SHOULD CANCEL THEIR MEMBERSHIP IN PROTEST(For once consumer/families first), also while at it please!!!! BRING BACK UNO RUSH & THE UNO VERSIONS THAT DOES NEED (on 360 they were fun but didn’t migrate to Xbox One) EA
Honestly, EA can kick rocks.”
Let them go