See why Madden NFL 26 is Built From Sundays. Get unlimited access with EA Play starting February 5, then score a Supercharge Pack in Ultimate Team by March 6.
Members can blitz for days with unlimited access to all the new explosive gameplay and feature updates.
EA SportsMadden NFL 26 is available on the Play List on February 5. Play with Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox PC Game Pass or Ultimate with EA Play.
Members can also score a Supercharge Pack in Ultimate Team, available from Feb 5-Mar 6.
Keep building your roster all year long with monthly Ultimate Team packs.
Game Pass Ultimate members can get unlimited access today, as well as 10% off EA digital purchases, including Madden Points.
Snag your Supercharge Pack, filled with 6 Elite player items, simply by entering Ultimate Team before March 6. Get a head start on building your roster so you can take on Challenges, H2H games, and more.
Build a lasting legacy and take the reins as a coach in Franchise. Play your way from the Draft to the Super Bowl in Superstar. Craft the roster of your dreams in Ultimate Team. However you want to define football success, Madden NFL 26 is waiting. Start playing today.
What’s New in Madden NFL 26?
Built From Sundays
Madden NFL 26 leverages a new AI-powered machine learning system trained by real play calls and game situations over nearly a decade to deliver more explosive gameplay—with new coach and player-specific traits, authentic playstyles, and adaptive counters that match on-field tendencies and strategies of professional quarterbacks and coaches.
True Gameday Experience
Get hyped for kickoff with stadium enhancements across the league. New run-outs feature real team traditions, with authentic crowd chants, unique stadium themes, and extreme weather that impacts gameplay and strategy.
Dance down the tunnel in Minnesota, or steal the spotlight during the pre-game light show in Baltimore. New presentation elements and custom broadcast packages depend on your matchup and add depth to each game’s unique storyline.
Franchise Updates
Create your coaching legacy by choosing from four exciting new archetypes, or step into the shoes of your favorite pro head coach, each bringing their authentic strategies to Franchise. Customize your Weekly Strategy by selecting new coach abilities every week that offer different tactical advantages and evolve as you level them up. Earn more abilities and fine-tune your game plans each week, tailoring them more precisely to your opponents as you progress. New Play Sheets add a strategic layer to play-calling, a coach Approval Rating system holds you more accountable for your decision-making, new Trainer abilities offer new ways to control Wear & Tear recovery, and new Weekly Recaps hosted by Scott Hanson keep you updated on league news.
Membership for EA Play is included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscriptions at no extra cost.
Whether you’re scoring an unbelievable hat trick in the EA SPORTS FC franchise, showing no mercy on suburban battlegrounds in theBattlefield series or timing a perfect hit to dominate the gridiron in the Madden NFL franchise, you can feel the thrill with EA for just $5.99 a month. Membership unlocks unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards and more. Members also save 10% off EA digital purchases—including game downloads, points packs, and DLC.
For more details on all the EA Play member benefits this month, visit: EA Play Member Benefits
Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.
Usher in the new year with new member rewards for Battlefield 6, Madden NFL 26, Apex Legends, and more!
January Member Rewards
A new year comes with endless possibility … and a new batch of rewards to claim, starting with Battlefield 6 — EA’s latest title and the new standard of FPS combat. Purchase Battlefield 6 with your 10% member discount on the digital version of the full game and grab an EA Play Deployment Pack, EA Play Season 1 Pack, and Battle Pass XP Boost.
As we head into the year 2026, keep building your dream roster with a Madden Ultimate Team EA Play January Pack. Launch Madden NFL 26 and enter Ultimate Team from Jan 1-31 to claim your Pack.
Compete for rewards with a Football Ultimate Team Draft Token in EA Sports FC 26, available in Ultimate Team from Dec 25 to Jan 29.
Unlock tiers of the Podium Pass to earn prizes even faster, and race to the top step of the podium with the EA Play 5,000 XP Boost for F1 25.
Pick up the Gold Broodling Weapon Charm in Apex Legends and equip it to your favorite weapon before battling for glory, fame, and fortune in style.
Sim-sational New Year
Celebrate a Sim-sational New Year with EA Play on the Xbox PC App. This month embrace classic chaos with re-releases of The Sims and The Sims 2, coming to EA Play on Jan 22. Keep the cozy vibes rolling with MySims: Cozy Bundle joining The Play List Jan 29.
EA Sports Week
From goals to touchdowns, there’s a way for every sports fan to score during EA Sports Week. You can get up to 60% off select EA Sports games, only until January 26. Or try them out during Xbox Free Play Days from Jan 15-18 or for up to 10 hours anytime with a Game Pass Ultimate or EA Play membership.
To learn more about EA Play, check out X and Instagram, or visit here. For more details on all the EA Play member benefits this month, visit the EA Play Member Benefits site. Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.
Members can experience the world of EA with unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards, 10% on EA digital purchases and more.
From Dec 15-24, we’re shining the spotlight on titles in The Play List and trials — with unique benefits and challenges. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members receive EA Play with their subscription, so make sure to check out all your rewards starting today.
EA Play’s Holiday Picks
Sports games dominate days 1 to 4, with EA Sports UFC 5 ringing the starting bell. Set up your favorite matches from 2025 to relive iconic wins or change their outcomes.
Then switch gears for day 2, and play up to 10 hours of EA Sports College Football 26. Plus, grab this month’s reward, the EA Play Loyalist Ultimate Team Pack (now through December 31), if you haven’t claimed it yet. Replay one of last year’s memorable bowl matchups, and see if you can flip the results.
On day 3, we’re highlighting EA Sports FC 26 with a 10-hour trial and Holiday Header Blue Boots (now through December 25). Show off your festive flair in Clubs, and recreate iconic matches between the league’s biggest rivals.
Then it’s off to gridiron greatness in Madden NFL 26. Try it out for up to 10 hours and pick up a MUT EA Play December Pack (now through December 31). Test your skills by playing your favorite NFL team’s latest matchup, or take them on a historic postseason run ahead of the upcoming NFL playoffs.
Step out of the sports arena on day 5 with 2 Star Wars titles available on The Play List. Play as iconic characters from the movies in Star Wars Battlefront II. A fan of the Light or Dark side? Try fighting for the opposite side! Or launch Star Wars Jedi: Survivor to take on a single-player narrative where you wield the Force as Cal Kestis.
Next up on day 6 is Battlefield 6, the new standard for FPS combat. Save 10% on the Standard or Phantom Edition as a member, and receive an EA Play Deployment Pack and Season 1 Pack (now through January 19). Can you harness Tactical Destruction and destroy 10 structures in one match?
Next up on day 7, celebrate the end of the racing season with a 5-hour trial and 5,000 XP Boost (now through December 31) in EA Sports F1 25. Up for a challenge? Break the fastest lap record on your favorite track.
The holidays aren’t complete without a little bling, so log in to Apex Legends on day 8 to redeem a Gold Topper Weapon Charm (now through January 5). Update your loadout today.
On day 9, pay a visit to your Sims in The Sims 4 — did we mention it’s free to play? — and add to their adventures with packs (10% off for members). Design a year-end retreat, city loft or creative build that captures your favorite vibe.
All roads lead to play on day 10. Get 10% off San Van Bucks, and use them to unlock the Premium skate.Pass, cosmetics, and more. Skate in style, and drop in to San Vansterdam now.
To learn more about EA Play, check out X and Instagram, or visit here. For more details on all the EA Play member benefits this month, visit the EA Play Member Benefits site. Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.
Members can experience the world of EA with unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards, 10% on EA digital purchases and more.
November is the ultimate month for sports fans! Football season is heating up, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix roars onto the Strip. EA Play members can feel the rush with Madden NFL 26, EA Sports FC 26, & College Football 26 trials. Plus, claim rewards, and race to the top with F1 25 & more.
Play your way for up to 10 hours with the EA Sports FC 26 early access trial, and experience a new level of gameplay powered by community feedback.
Game day doesn’t stop on Saturdays. Take on the EA Sports College Football 26 10-hour trial, and bring glory home.
Feel the rush of every snap and tackle with a 10-hour trial of EA Sports Madden NFL 26, powered by real NFL data that delivers unforgettable gameplay.
Hit the track to test your skills in the EA Sports F1 25 5-hour trial and leave your mark on the world of racing.
Members can save 10% on EA digital purchases, including game downloads, point packs, and DLC. If they decide to buy, their progress carries over to the full game, so they can pick up right where they left off.
Member Rewards
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members receive EA Play with their subscription. From Ultimate Team packs to XP boosts, your membership keeps paying off month after month—with even more rewards always on the way.
This month, EA Play members can claim big rewards across football, racing, and beyond. Score an EA Sports FC 26 Ultimate Team Draft Token, the Apex Legends Lucky Footprint Weapon Charm, a Madden NFL 26 Ultimate Team Pack, a College Football 26 Loyalist Ultimate Team Pack, 5,000 XP for F1 25, and more. Rather take on the battlefield? Purchase Battlefield 6 with your 10% member discount on the digital version of the full game, and claim fresh Season 1 rewards like the “Deadweight” Vehicle Skin, “Hazard” Weapon Package, a 60-minute Battle Pass XP Boost, and more.
Now on The Play List
Sports, shooters, speed, and more—feel the thrill of it all with EA Play. Whether you’re chasing glory on the field, battling for position on the Strip, or defying the gods in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, The Play List gives you unlimited access to fan-favorite EA titles. Find your new favorite with games like Madden NFL 25, College Football 25, FC 25, and more.
To learn more about EA Play, check out X and Instagram, or visit here. For more details on all the EA Play member benefits this month, visit the EA Play Member Benefits site. Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.
Members can experience the world of EA with unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards, 10% on EA digital purchases and more.
We surprise-added a bunch of games last week – for cloud, console, PC, and even the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally handhelds – with more to come, meaning we have something for everyone. Let’s get to the games.
Available Today
Supermarket Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC) Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
Run your own supermarket in this store management game! Stock shelves, set your prices, take payments, hire staff, expand your store, handle shoplifters, and design your layout. Purchase goods from online or local markets around town and personally deliver online orders to your customers.
Coming Soon
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Editions (PC) – October 9 Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
Available on console and cloud gaming and now coming to Xbox on PC! Gather your party; the RPG saga returns. Immerse yourself in an epic RPG series where every choice matters. Play over 100 hours of adventure in enhanced editions of Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II!
The Casting of Frank Stone(Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – October 14 Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
The shadow of Frank Stone looms over Cedar Hills, a town forever altered by his violent past. As a group of young friends are about to discover, Stone’s blood-soaked legacy cuts deep, leaving scars across families, generations, and the very fabric of reality itself.
Ball x Pit(Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 15 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass:Ball x Pit is a brick-breaking, ball-fusing, base-building survival roguelite. Batter hordes of enemies with ricocheting balls and gather the riches of the pit to expand your homestead, generate resources and recruit unique heroes.
The Grinch has a wonderful, awful idea – steal all the presents in Who-ville, using gadgets like his stealthy Santa costume and Candy Cane Lasso. Help him sneak around, freeze creatures with snowballs, and learn the meaning of Christmas along the way, in this festive platformer!
Eternal Strands(Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – October 15 Now with Game Pass Premium
Eternal Strands is the debut fantasy title from Yellow Brick Games. Fight epic, towering creatures while blending magical abilities with an arsenal of powerful weapons to keep the world from crumbling in this third-person, action-adventure game.
Deep in the forgotten corners of the world, a dark force stirs – the Demon King rises once more. Sharpen your wits, seek out powerful artifacts, and stand firm in the face of the apocalypse in this roguelite RPG auto battler.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black(Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – October 15 Now with Game Pass Premium
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black features the high-speed, ninja action of iconic hero Ryu Hayabusa and his deadly Dragon Sword. Embark on a global battle against formidable foes, engage in relentless combat, and play as additional characters Momiji, Ayana and Rachel.
Pax Dei (PC) – October 16 Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
Welcome to a vast, social sandbox MMO inspired by the legends of the medieval era. Here, myths are real, ghosts exist, and magic is unquestioned. Join thousands of players as you explore the land, build your home, forge your reputation, and craft your own stories. What world will you make?
Keeper(Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – October 17 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass! From Lee Petty and Double Fine Productions, Keeper is a story told without words, in which a long-forgotten lighthouse is awakened and, joined by a spirited seabird, it embarks upon a heartening tale of unlikely companionship, and an unexpected journey into realms beyond understanding.
Evil West(Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 21 Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
Making a return to the Game Pass library! A dark menace consumes the Old West. In solo or co-op, fight with style in visceral, explosive combat against bloodthirsty monstrosities. Eradicate the vampiric hordes with your lightning-fueled gauntlet and become a Wild West Superhero.
Ninja Gaiden 4(Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – October 21 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass! The definitive ninja hack and slash franchise returns with Ninja Gaiden 4! Embark on a cutting-edge adventure where legacy meets innovation in this high-octane blend of style and no-holds-barred combat.
In Case You Missed It
We recently revealed new details about Xbox Game Pass memberships. You can learn more about this below:
Hogwarts Legacy(Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available now Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. Embark on a journey through familiar and new locations as you explore and discover magical beasts, customize your character and craft potions, master spell casting, upgrade talents and become the wizard you want to be.
Little Rocket Lab(Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available now Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Little Rocket Lab is a cozy, machine building RPG. You play as Morgan, an aspiring engineer! Head home to St. Ambroise to help complete your family’s dream-building a rocket. Help the locals with new machines, be creative, and become the ultimate engineer! That rocket isn’t going to build itself!
DLC / Game Updates
Dead by Daylight: Sinister Grace – Available now The skin tears. The head rises. The hunt begins. In Dead by Daylight: Sinister Grace, play as The Krasue, forever cursed by insatiable hunger and a terrifying creature well suited for The Fog. The Krasue’s blood-drenched tale is one of ambition gone awry.
Diablo IV: Season of Infernal Chaos – Available now Season 10 takes gameplay to chaotic heights, with updates that encourage deeper build experimentation and mastery through powerful Chaos Armor Uniques and deadly class-tailored Chaos Perks. The chaos persists in endgame with revamped Infernal Hordes, now overtaken by new, relentless Chaos Waves.
FBC: Firebreak – Breakpoint Update – Available now The first free Major Update, Breakpoint is packed with systemic overhauls, new content, and quality-of-life improvements – all aimed at making FBC: Firebreak more fun, varied, and rewarding to play.
Grounded 2: Hairy and Scary Update – Available now The Hairy and Scary update unleashes AXL the tarantula with a full armor set to craft, new weapons to wield, and new base décor. Fine-tune your loadout with new gear and build smarter with the streamlined BUILD.M interface as you prepare to face AXL on the back of your Buggy.
Age of Empires II: DE – Chronicles: Alexander the Great – October 14 Pre-order now and save 15%! Prepare for the next chapter in the fan-favorite Chronicles saga by stepping into the sandals of history’s greatest conqueror. Embark on Alexander the Great’s epic journey in this narrative-driven campaign featuring three new civilizations, customizable armies, and fresh storytelling.
In-Game Benefits
Now all Game Pass subscribers can get in-game benefits for eligible free-to-play games and titles in the Xbox Game Pass library, in addition to special offers like Discord Nitro. Specific benefits may vary per plan, region, and time.
Valorant: Play the new Agent Veto (Console and PC) – Available now Upset your enemy’s gameplan and take every fight on YOUR terms with Veto: Valorant’s new Senegalese Sentinel whose Radivore mutation shuts down and shrugs off enemy abilities.
Call of Duty: Warzone – Game Pass Pack 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 15 Get a free in-game bundle for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone. This pack includes operator skins, weapon blueprints, emotes, weapon charms and more that you can use in both games.
Leaving October 15
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon. Be sure to pick up where you left off before they go and remember you can save up to 20% off your purchase to keep the fun going!
Cocoon (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Core Keeper (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutants Unleashed (Cloud, Console, and PC)
No matter how you want to game – be it on your PC, your console, a metaphorical ton of devices for cloud gaming (maybe a literal ton, if you count the CAR that has cloud gaming??), we have something for you. Talk soon!
The EA Sports FC 26 10-hour EA Play trial is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Xbox on PC via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Play your way with an overhauled gameplay experience powered by community feedback.
Score a Welcome Pack through October 30 and in-game rewards, such as Ultimate Team Draft Tokens and Clubs rewards.
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can live the most true-to-football experience ever for up to 10 hours in EA Sports FC 26. If they decide to buy, their progress carries over to the full game, so they can pick up the season right where they left off.
Members can save 10% on the full game, FC Points, and other EA digital purchases. Plus, grab a Welcome Pack in addition to recurring rewards, like Ultimate Team Draft Tokens.
Feel the difference with a variety of game-wide changes to key fundamentals and much more in EA Sports FC 26.
Overhauled Gameplay
EA Sports FC 26 changes the game with two distinct gameplay presets. Competitive Gameplay is tailored for online head-to-head play in Football Ultimate Team and Clubs, introducing competitive positioning, fewer auto-tackles, increased passing speed, and more. Authentic Gameplay, however, delivers unrivaled authenticity in Career with more intelligent defenders, corner kicks tuned to match real-world success rates, a sense of real-world excitement during goalmouth scrambles, and more.
Football Ultimate Team
Put your dream squad to the test with Tournaments and Live Events, as well as a refreshed Rivals and Champs experience. Test your skills with up to 4 rounds of knockout football, or add variety with themed competitions and content all season long. New Bounties let you earn additional rewards or accelerate your weekly progress.
Manager Live
Manager Live is a new, always-online content delivery hub that adds a new dimension to Manager Career. Take on a variety of real-world and alternative scenarios throughout the new season, ranging from a few minutes of play to multiple seasons. Whether it’s managing your team after the latest high-profile transfer, starting the season strong with 5 straight wins, or writing your name into the history books by winning a treble, Live Challenges will test all aspects of your managerial prowess.
The EA Sports FC 26 10-hour EA Play trial is available Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Xbox on PC via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.
The EA Sports NHL 26 10-hour EA Play early access trial is available on Xbox Series X|S.
NHL Edge data powers how your favorite superstars think, move, and play in true-to-life fashion.
Score 3,000 WOC Coins and Season Pass XP Multiplier Tokens, plus recurring rewards.
Game Pass Ultimate members can now take to the ice for up to 10 hours in EA Sports NHL 26. If they decide to buy, their progress carries over to the full game, so they can get ready for the next match.
Members can save 10% off EA digital purchases, including the full version of the game and NHL Points. Plus, score in-game rewards, including 3,000 WOC Coins and Season Pass XP Multiplier Tokens. It’s time to show out and tell the world to check my game.
Ice-Q 2.0 powered by NHL Edge
Think, move, and play like your favorite superstars. By informing player Attributes, Tendencies, and with the all-new Goalie Crease Control System, NHL Edge data brings a deeper level of authenticity to Chel.
NHL Visual Package
Enjoy a litany of visual updates, including the addition of the Delta Center as a playable arena, all-new net mesh behavior, neck guards for players, and a dynamic new menu screen. From Dynamic Cinematic Lighting that turns all preplays and off-play camera moments into a thing of beauty, to a font update for increased legibility, there are a ton of new updates to Chel’s overall visual package.
Be A Pro
The revamped Be A Pro mode lets you live your hockey journey from rookie to superstar with fresh storylines, characters, challenges, and cutscenes. Play your way from World Juniors to the draft. Experience the emotions of your first pro game: the highs of being a human highlight reel, getting grilled at post-game pressers for a lingering dry spell — and if that keeps up, having to work your way back to the big league from the minors.
The EA Sports NHL 26 10-hour EA Play trial is available on Xbox Series X|S. Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.
Immersive single-player RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard comes to EA Play on August 28.
Select from different races and combat classes, customize your appearance, choose your character’s backstory, and begin your journey as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero.
Face larger-than-life foes as you traverse diverse environments in this dramatic campaign.
Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.
Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you can’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
Play Dragon Age: The Veilguard on The Play List. EA Play makes your games more rewarding, with access to great player benefits including a library of top titles, monthly member rewards, a 10% discount on purchases of EA digital content, and more.
August Rewards
EA Play is bringing great membership rewards across some of EA’s hottest titles. From Welcome Packs, XP boosts, to Weapon Charms, it’s the ultimate touchdown for fans.
Apex LegendsLet it rip with the Apex Legends Gold Barrelman Buddy Weapon Charm
Available now through Sep 1
Battlefield 2042Put boots on the ground with these Battlefield 2042 skins
LCAA Hovercraft Skin: Rising Wave available now through Aug 24
BSV-M Weapon Skin: Blue Flash available Aug 25 – Sep 29
EA Sports College Football 26Lead your program to glory with the Loyalist Ultimate Team Pack
Available now through Aug 31
EA Sports F1 25Take off through Podium Pass tiers with 5,000 XP
Available now through Aug 31
EA Sports Madden NFL 26Get your team ready for big gameday moments with the EA Play Welcome Pack
Available now through Sep 11
EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Build your lineup in Madden NFL 25 Ultimate Team with this month’s Pack
Available now through Aug 31
EA Sports FC 25 Tackle the season in style with the Festival of Football Purple Sunglasses and Clubs Coins
Available now through Sep 18
EA Sports FC 25Invest in your club’s future with this month’s Token
Available now through Sep 14
EA Sports NHL 25Show out on the ice with WOC Battle Pass XP Modifier & CHEL Coins
Available now through Sep 11
Membership to EA Play is included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscriptions at no extra cost. Experience unlimited access to a collection of top EA titles, trials of select new games, member rewards, and a 10% discount on EA digital purchases.
Stay up to date with the latest news and member benefits at the EA Play page or follow on X (Twitter) and Instagram @eaplay.
You probably saw a ton of headlines about Xbox leaks this week: new hardware, upcoming games, Game Pass costs, acquisition strategies. A trove of unredacted documents accidentally uploaded to a federal court’s case server gave the world an unprecedented look into the secret machinations of the gaming wing of a $2 trillion tech giant. But if you check out just one leak from this historic week for Xbox it should be Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer’s analysis of what’s currently plaguing triple-A video game publishers.
Thank You, PS Plus, For Making My Backlog Even Bigger
His analysis was in an email exchange from March 2020, in the midst of the Xbox team planning ahead of a feedback meeting with Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two. “In terms of subscriptions and the impact on larger publishers I realized that I haven’t really done a good job sharing our view on the disruption AAA publishers potentially see and how their role in the industry will likely change with the growth in subscription platforms like Xbox Game Pass,” Spencer wrote (the memo was directed to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, CFO Amy Hood, then-executive business VP Peggy Johnson, and head of marketing Chris Capossela).
The head of Xbox, who first joined Microsoft as an intern back in 1988 and has been working on the gaming side of its business for over 20 years now, proceeded to diagnose the current state of big publishers as they face wave after wave of market disruption. It was a cogent, incisive commentary on the fears driving an ever-shrinking class of mega gaming companies that are clinging harder and harder to the few big-budget franchises they have that still pay out.
Spencer lays out how publishers once existed to leverage scale in negotiations with retailers for shelf space. Then everything changed. “The creation of digital storefronts like Steam, Xbox Store and PlayStation Store eventually democratized access for creators breaking physical retail’s lock on game distribution,” he writes. “Publishers were slow to react to this disruption. The AAA publishers did not find a way to leverage the moat that physical retail created in the digital realm in a way that had them continue their dominance of the game marketplace.”
Companies like Activision, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft eventually made their own middle-man clients to try and get around platform fees, and a few later followed up with their own subscription services. None of them were built early enough or offered a compelling enough alternative to get big. Players complained about bad UI and bad deals. Franchises like Call of Duty and Madden that had once abandoned Steam returned. Game Pass got big while EA Play and Ubisoft+ stayed small. The only competitive advantage publishers have left is being able to pour more money than anyone else into annualized blockbusters.
Spencer writes,
Over the past 5-7 years, the AAA publishers have tried to use production scale as their new moat. Very few companies can afford to spend the $200M an Activision or Take 2 spend to put a title like Call of Duty or Red Dead Redemption on the shelf. These AAA publishers have, mostly, used this production scale to keep their top franchises in the top selling games each year. The issue these publishers have run into is these same production scale/cost approach hurts their ability to create new IP. The hurdle rate on new IP at these high production levels have led to risk aversion by big publishers on new IP. You’ve seen a rise of AAA publishers using rented IP to try to offset the risk (Star Wars with EA, Spiderman with Sony, Avatar with Ubisoft etc). This same dynamic has obviously played out in Hollywood as well with Netflix creating more new IP than any of the movie studios.
Specifically, the AAA game publishers, starting from a position of strength driven from physical retail have failed to create any real platform effect for themselves. They effectively continue to build their scale through aggregated per game P&Ls hoping to maximize each new release of their existing IP.
In the new world where a AAA publisher don’t have real distribution leverage with consumers, they don’t have production efficiencies and their new IP hit rate is not disproportionately higher than the industry average we see that the top franchises today were mostly not created by AAA game publishers. Games like Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, Candy Crush, Clash Royale, DOTA2 etc. were all created by independent studios with full access to distribution. Overall this, imo, is a good thing for the industry but does put AAA publishers, in a precarious spot moving forward. AAA publishers are milking their top franchises but struggling to refill their portfolio of hit franchises, most AAA publishers are riding the success of franchises created 10+ years ago.
Microsoft’s answer to this is Game Pass, not out of the goodness of its heart but because it sees a new platform it can scale to feed the financial growth demanded by investors. “Our goal is to find a way to both grow our subscription (which is our new platform) and help the AAA publishers build towards a successful future,” Spencer writes. “For publishers with 2-3 scale franchises that’s a difficult transition. Again, taking a clue from Hollywood, it’s not clear how a standalone subscale media publisher grows is this world without adapting to new paradigms or getting consolidated but we believe we can help a Take2 by increasing monetizable [total addressable market] across more endpoints inside of a global platform like Xbox Game Pass (inclusive of xCloud).”
The suggestion here is that the type of game that can thrive on a subscription service is either a small one that benefits from better curation and visibility or a live-service one that can make up revenue on the backend by charging all the new players microtransactions (the new store shelves are inside the games themselves). That’s also a pretty grim assessment, and probably part of the reason Sony has repeatedly said that bringing its big first-party exclusive games like Spider-Man 2 and The Last of Us to its competing PS Plus service day-and-date would cripple the economics of blockbuster production.
Spencer’s email was written over three years ago at this point, and was aimed largely at trying to summarize the current state of the industry for his bosses. We can see how things have played out since, though. Take-Two, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts have decided to collaborate with Game Pass, and EA Play is now part of the service. Microsoft, meanwhile, gobbled up ZeniMax (including Bethesda Game Studios), and is now on the cusp of doing the same with subscription holdouts Activision Blizzard. All while smaller competitors like Embracer go into a tailspin.
It’s not clear who the big publisher model was serving after physical games died, outside of the richly compensated CEOs and occasional shareholder buybacks. But it’s also not yet clear that whatever replaces them will serve anyone—developers, players, fans—any better.
You can see the email exchange in its entirety below:
