Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Exceeds 25 Million Subscribers

Last Updated on January 19, 2022 by Asif Iqbal Shaik

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscriber count has now crossed 25 million, which is a jump of nearly 40 percent compared to the previous year. The company had earlier reported its subscriber count as 18 million in 2021.

Microsoft announced this milestone alongside its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Once the deal is finalized, the company plans to add games from Activision’s game catalogue to its Xbox Game Pass repository. However, in the interim, Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard will continue to operate as independent entities.

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming said that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard will help boost Cloud Gaming.

For more than 30 years our incredibly talented teams have created some of the most successful games. The combination of Activision Blizzard’s world-class talent and extraordinary franchises with Microsoft’s technology, distribution, access to talent, ambitious vision and shared commitment to gaming and inclusion will help ensure our continued success in an increasingly competitive industry.

Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard

The tech giant has been growing its game content with its acquisition of Bethesda games in 2021, which included classics such as Wolfenstein, Doom, and Fallout. Microsoft highlighted that it will also expand on mobile gaming with its latest acquisition of Activision Blizzard. It added that “with games like ‘Candy Crush,’ Activision Blizzard´s mobile business represents a significant presence and opportunity for Microsoft in this fast-growing segment”.

Activision Blizzard has hooked nearly 400 million monthly active players in 190 countries and also owns three billion-dollar franchises. Microsoft says that it will leverage it to “make Game Pass one of the most compelling and diverse lineups of gaming content in the industry.”