Microsoft Canceled XBOX Game Pass Family Plan Because of EA

Microsoft’s plans for a family tier of XBOX Game Pass were scrapped because of pushback from EA, according to WindowsCentral’s Jez Corden.

XBOX‘s new feedback portal has resulted in a large number of community requests coming to light, including a desire for ‘completionist’ Achievements, similar to PlayStation‘s Platinum trophies, and the return of XBOX Avatars.

Alongside those requests are calls for a family tier of Xbox Game Pass, but it’s now been stated that pushback from EA ultimately led to that being scrapped.

EA Pushback Led to Game Pass Family Scrap

In a detailed post by Corden, highlighting the top 20 most popular requests through the XBOX feedback portal, the cancellation of a planned family tier for XBOX Game Pass “wasn’t actually Microsoft’s fault.”

Microsoft was testing a family plan for Game Pass, giving up to four users access to the library, even implementing it in Ireland and Colombia, before being shelved.

Corden states he was told that EA, a long-term contractee of XBOX Game Pass, “fully hated the idea.” He also described the company’s involvement as doing “the absolute bare minimum,” “refusing to put XBOX PC native versions with Play Anywhere or XBOX Achievements out.”

EA’s close ties with Game Pass are well-documented, with the subscription to Game Pass including an EA Play membership, resulting in major titles becoming available on the platform, although often with a significant delay after their initial release date.

It remains to be seen whether the community push for a Family tier of Game Pass will lead to a revival of the plans from Microsoft, or if the pushback from EA has resulted in the concept being canned for good.

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