Over 150 Partners Join Xbox Game Pass in 2025 Amid Record Microsoft Investment

Microsoft has made its largest investment in Xbox Game Pass to date in 2025, according to ID@Xbox head Chris Charla.

Speaking with Eurogamer, Charla explained that Xbox’s indie publishing arm is seeing exceptional demand from developers to join Game Pass. According to him, “the majority of partners who’ve had a game in Game Pass want to bring their future titles to the service.”

As a result, Xbox has already signed deals with more than 150 partners this year alone. Charla added, “Last year, we worked with over 50 teams to sign their first Game Pass deal. This year marks our largest investment in Game Pass to date, and we remain focused on delivering the most exciting and diverse catalogue in gaming.”

For those unfamiliar, ID@Xbox is Microsoft’s program that helps independent developers publish games on Xbox platforms. For smaller studios, a Game Pass deal can make the difference between a game being developed at all or fading out due to funding issues.

Former Microsoft senior business manager Iain MacIntyre shed light on how the deals work earlier this year, noting that payouts can range anywhere from $50,000 for small indie activations to $50 million for major launches. These upfront deals are crucial for teams that lack financial stability but want their games in front of millions of players.

Why 2025 Feels Different

I’ll be honest—this year feels like one of the strongest years yet for Game Pass. Sure, first-party titles have been a big part of that, but the third-party lineup has been equally impressive. Take Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive, for example. It launched day one on Game Pass, yet still managed to sell over 4.4 million copies. With its stunning art direction, memorable soundtrack, and narrative that sticks with you long after playing, it’s easily one of the best games of the year.

Then there’s Frostpunk 2, which recently expanded from PC to consoles and joined Game Pass as well. And of course, we can’t forget the recent arrival of Hollow Knight: Silksong, a title that has been on nearly every fan’s radar for years.

Game Pass Revenues

The financial side of Game Pass is just as striking. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed earlier this year that the service surpassed $5 billion in annual revenue for the first time.

While Microsoft hasn’t updated subscriber numbers since February 2024, when the service had 34 million members, even conservative estimates suggest monthly revenues of around $340 million, with most users paying around $20 per month.

Concerns

Not everyone in the industry agrees on the benefits of subscription services. Critics like Arkane Studios founder Raphael Colantonio have described Game Pass as “unsustainable,” while Larian’s Michael Douse suggested it may “cannibalize” sales for some smaller titles.

Others, like Alex Hutchinson of Revenge of the Savage Planet, argue that subscriptions may hurt indie developers in the long run.

Ex-Sony chairman Shawn Layden went even further, referring to developers as “wage slaves” and arguing that taking upfront payments instead of relying on traditional sales risks losing out on value, innovation, and the potential rewards of a successful release.

Xbox hasn’t commented on these concerns, but they’re hard to overlook.