Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler believes the XBOX Game Pass subscription service failed to grow further because it lacked enough top-tier games, leading to players unsubscribing.
XBOX is in a tumultuous period right now. Since taking over as CEO, Asha Sharma has laid out what she believes the brand’s core values should be. The brand’s momentum has been roller-coaster-like. With moves such as the return of console exclusives and a renewed focus on loyal XBOX players, Sharma has garnered goodwill. Still, stories of studio closures and the possibility of Microsoft spinning off the brand entirely leave players questioning whether gaming’s green brand can survive.
Moon Studios CEO Criticizes XBOX’s Game Pass Strategy
Responding to a post on Twitter from George Broussard, Thomas Mahler, the director of the Ori franchise, gave a lengthy explanation as to Game Pass’ role in the current wave of issues that XBOX has encountered. He would say that the software catalog isn’t good enough to make people pay the monthly fee; he would call out first-party studios for floundering; and he would compare the subscription service to Communism.
“Gamepass in some ways is a little like Communism,” he said in the final paragraph of the passage. “Just like with communism, if you don’t give people a strong incentive to roll up their sleeves and go the extra mile, they won’t. And if you then don’t get the quality you need, it all comes crashing down cause players will not pay up unless you basically force them to by making content that’s so good that they feel like they miss out if they don’t check it out.”
- More XBOX News: XBOX Game Pass June 2026 Wave 2 Titles Revealed
XBOX is reportedly planning for mass layoffs in July. They recently closed Ninja Theory studios. Just days beforehand, they revealed the trailer for a Ninja Theory title, Senua. Reportedly, this was in hopes of getting other Studios excited about the project and potentially leading to a purchase of Ninja Theory.
How do you feel about the comments from the Moon Studios CEO? Sound off about this story and all others in our official Discord server.
For more XBOX news, check out everything recently announced during the June 2026 Showcase. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Comments