During Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, its lofty goals for the subscription option leaked. Unfortunately, dwindling console sales followed by rate hikes contributed to slower-than-expected growth. After launching in 2017, Microsoft announced in 2022 that Xbox Game Pass had attracted 25 million gamers. By 2024, that number had expanded to 34 million, once it absorbed former Xbox Live Gold members. Since then, observers have speculated that the lack of updates was due to a decline in new users.