Former Sony PlayStation executive Shawn Layden (숀 레이든) has sharply criticised Microsoft (MS) over its operating strategy for the subscription game service Xbox Game Pass, fuelling a widening debate. He questioned the sustainability of the service structure itself and also pointed to the need for a broader industry reassessment.

On April 16, local time, IT outlet TechRadar reported that Layden said Microsoft is pushing too hard to return Game Pass to a healthy state. He described it as an attempt to normalise the service despite a poor diagnosis and a bleak prognosis. He argued that a clear post-mortem would help the industry as a whole.

The controversy was sparked after Xbox Chief Executive Asha Sharma (아샤 샤르마) referred to the need to revamp Game Pass in an internal memo. In the leaked memo, Sharma called Game Pass Xbox's core value proposition but said the current model is not the final form. She acknowledged that the price burden has increased in the short term and said a better value equation is needed, while setting out a direction to evolve it into a more flexible structure over the long term.

Layden pushed back, saying the issue was not a simple structural improvement but the limits of the model itself. He reaffirmed his longstanding view that subscription game services could turn developers into wage workers and stressed the potential for negative effects across the game industry.

The market views a recent price increase as a key factor that has fuelled the dispute. Microsoft raised Game Pass fees in October 2025, and the launches of the Call of Duty series and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 were cited at the time as major drivers. The Ultimate plan is now $29.99 a month (22.99 pounds), increasing the burden compared with before.

The possibility of a shake-up to the plan structure has also been raised. Microsoft is reported to be reviewing a plan to combine Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass, and if a merger takes place, some users could face higher effective fees, forecasts suggest.

Ultimately, the core issue is sustainability. Microsoft has also acknowledged that it is difficult to keep the current structure as it is, and the task has emerged of how to redesign the balance among price, content and user expansion. Layden, in contrast, has countered that a clear analysis of the reasons for failure should come before maintaining the service, raising a fundamental question over the subscription game model itself.

As a result, Xbox Game Pass is again drawing attention as a symbol of big game companies' experiments with revenue models, beyond a simple subscription product. As price increases and restructuring discussions continue, the industry is watching closely to see what solution Microsoft offers between the user burden and its growth strategy.