The Founder of Arkane Studios, A Subsidiary of Microsoft-Owned Zenimax, has called game pass “Unsustainable” in the wake of widespread layoffs at xBox. Raphael Colantonio, Who founded the studio behind games That hurts sales of xbox games.
Xbox Game Pass Called ‘Unsustainable’
“Why is no-one talking about the elephant in the room? Cough cough (gamepass),” Colantonio said on x (formerly twitter) Saturday. The Former Arkane President, Who left the company in 2017, criticized the game pass model, which has been the centers of microsoft’s gaming strategy for years, after the latest rounds after the xbox Saw Studio Closures, Project Cancellations and Layoffs.
Why is no-one talking about the elephant in the room? Cough cough (gamepass)
– Raphael Colantonio (@rafcolantonio) July 5, 2025
“I think gamepass is an unustedable model that has been done increasing the industry for a decade, subsidized by ms” infinite money “, but at some point reality has to hit,” COLANOOTONIO Replies to his post. “I don’t think gp can co-exist with other models, they’ll either kill always else, or give up.”
He Claimed The Game Pass Economic Model was flwed and pointed out that releasing titles day one on game pass impacted sales. All First-Parte Microsoft Games are launched day one on the subscription service, allowing members to play new titles at no additional cost.
The value of game pass
While game pass does offer value to gamers, the service has been criticized in the past within the games industry. The service offers visible to smaller, independent games, but it can end up hurting sales for newly related titles. Back in 2023, while deposit at the US FTC Trial Over Microsoft’s Acquisition of Acquisition, Former PlayStation Boss Jim Ryan Had Claimed That Video Game Publisters UNANIMOUSLY AGAMES GAME PASS “Value destructive.”
While being on game pass can chew into unit sales of new titles, some games have found commercial success despite launching on the service day one. Claair OBSCUR: Expedition 33, The Acclaimed Turn-Based RPG from French Developer Sandfall Interactive that launched on April 24, Sold Over 3.3 Million Copies in just over a month AFTER RELEASE, De) Being available on game pass.
In April, Rebellion Developments Ceid Launching The Studio’s Action-Survival Game, Atomfall, on Game Pass Had Been A Hug Success. The game, which was released in March, has reacted over two million players.
Xbox Layoffs
Last Week, Microsoft Laid off Around Four Percent of its Workforce – Over 9,000 Employees. The layoffs hit the xbox division hard, reportedly impacting candy crash development king, call of duty makers raven software and Sledgemamer Games, Halo Studios, and Forza Motorsport Developer Turns Studyos.
As part of the cuts, microsoft also canceled the perfect dark reboot and shut down development. Rare’s Action-Adventure Game Everwild was canceled, Too, Along with Several Unannounced Projects.
The Seattle Times Reported that the latest round of job cuts at microsoft could represent. The Xbox Parent Plans to Spend more than $ 80 billion (roughly Rs. 6,87,456 Crore)
