ID@Xbox head Chris Charla has defended Xbox Game Pass after multiple notable figures in the industry have criticized the platform. The subscription service has been an undeniable success for Microsoft, but it's come under fire lately from some people outside the company as arguments have arisen over its effect on the broader gaming market. Now, Charla has spoken out to paint a different picture of Xbox Game Pass and how it impacts other developers.
Outside the recent criticism, it's been a good year for Microsoft's online gaming platform. In the last quarter of fiscal year 2025, Xbox Game Pass set a new revenue record, drawing over $5 billion over the period for the first time since the service's 2017 debut. 2025 has also been a strong year for day-one games on Game Pass, with titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Hollow Knight: Silksong dropping on the platform on their respective release dates.
While speaking to Eurogamer, Charla, who heads up Xbox's indie publishing program, pushed back against the idea that Xbox Game Pass is bad for the industry, saying Microsoft "signed deals with more than 150 partners" to bring their games to the platform. According to Charla, over...
