Following yesterday's bombshell news from Microsoft that Xbox Game Pass is getting a features and price overhaul, retailer GameStop has said via X that they will continue to sell one-month subscriptions to Game Pass Ultimate for the pre-hike price of $19.99.

Microsoft has raised the monthly price of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription from $20 to $30, marking a 50% increase. In response, GameStop has publicly stated it will continue selling Game Pass Ultimate at the previous $19.99 price, both in-store and online, for the time being. Other major US retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are also still offering the subscription at the old price, though they have not made official statements regarding their pricing policies.

GameStop's commitment may be due to existing stock of prepaid codes printed with the original price, making immediate price changes impractical. Customers can stack Game Pass subscriptions for up to 36 months, potentially saving hundreds of dollars before the new pricing fully takes effect. The situation remains fluid as retailers work through their current inventories.

GameStop commits to selling game pass ultimate for $19.99

What's up everybody, Damon here with my son Kingo, and in today's gaming news, Xbox may have increased the price of Game Pass, but retailers are holding the line. Plus, a Dungeons & Dragons game you may not have even heard of has been cancelled, and one of my favorite movies ever is returning to theaters in a special edition. This is the Daily Fix. Perfect. Microsoft has just increased the price of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate memberships from $20 to $30 a month, a 50% increase. In response, major US retailer GameStop has stated on Twitter that it will continue selling Game Pass Ultimate at the old price, in-store and online, sidestepping the increase for now. It isn't alone either, as Amazon is also still selling Game Pass Ultimate at $20 a month, and the same, at least for now, goes for Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. The key distinction is that GameStop has publicly confirmed it will continue selling Ultimate at the pre-hike price, while the other major US retailers have not commented, and simply continue to list the subscription at the old rate. GameStop and others may be selling through an existing backlog of codes originally issued at $20. Physical Game Pass cards are typically printed with their value shown, which could make raising the price impractical for remaining stock. You're able to stack Game Pass subscriptions for up to 36 months, or three years. At the old price, that would come out to $720. At the new $30 a month price, three years of Game Pass Ultimate costs $1,080. Moving on, Starbreeze has cancelled Project Baxter, its co-op Dungeons & Dragons game, laid off a significant portion of its development team, and announced plans to double down on its Payday franchise. Project Baxter was announced in December 2023 as an Unreal Engine 5 D&D game that would, quote, carry the signature Starbreeze cornerstones of cooperative multiplayer, lifetime commitment through a games-as-a-service model, community engagement, and a larger-than-life experience. The plan then was to launch Project Baxter on all major platforms in 2026 with cross-play, but news has been scarce, with a social media post showing off a single in-engine image in September last year. In November last year, Starbreeze said it was still hiring for Project Baxter, with work on the game continuing at full speed. The studio said at the time, Internally, we have weekly playtests of Baxter, and active discussions with a number of industry-leading players regarding potential collaborations around Baxter's development and launch. The decision to cancel Project Baxter has cost the Swedish company approximately $27.2 million in development costs. CEO Adolf Christensen called it a difficult but necessary decision, but failed to mention any particular issues with the development of Project Baxter that might have factored in. Christensen said in a prepared statement, Our strategy is clear. Payday is one of the most iconic IPs in gaming, with unmatched reach and potential. By focusing our investment and talent here, we can accelerate delivery, engage players with more content, and reinforce Starbreeze's position as the clear leader in the heisting genre. This is about sharpening our focus to create the strongest long-term value for our players, our people, and our shareholders. Heisting is a genre? I guess so, because Christensen continued, We are doubling down on what our players love and what we do best, owning the heisting genre. Payday is more than a game, it's a genre we created and continue to lead. By redeploying talent and capital, we can bring innovation to heisting gameplay faster, while also laying the foundation for the future expansion of the genre. Starbreeze said Payday has had more than 50 million players worldwide, and generated close to $427 million in lifetime gross revenue. The 12-year-old Payday 2 still has significantly more players than Payday 3 on Steam, but the developer insisted Payday 3, quote, is being developed into a scalable live engagement platform to engage millions of players worldwide. Meanwhile, Starbreeze said it has new heist games in the works, including spinoffs and narrative-driven projects, and plans to expand Payday into new platforms. And finally today, Kill Bill The Whole Bloody Affair will be released in theaters nationwide for the first time ever this December. Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies, originally released in two volumes, will be re-released by Lionsgate as one complete film on December 5th. Lionsgate said The Whole Bloody Affair removes the cliffhanger ending from Volume 1 and the recap that began Volume 2, and perhaps of most interest to fans, adds a never-before-seen seven-and-a-half-minute animated sequence. Select presentations of the release will be in 70mm and 35mm, and it is anticipated that the film will play in all major markets. Lionsgate added. Both my son and my daughter have movie names. Ken goes from an old samurai movie, and my daughter's name is Beatrix from Kill Bill, so I definitely look forward to catching The Whole Bloody Affair in theaters later this year. And that is your Daily Fix for Thursday, October 2nd. If you're looking for something to play right now that helps support a great cause, head over to Humble. Live now through October 7th, grab eight incredible games for just $14.99, including WWE 2K25, Destiny 2 Legacy Collection, The Plucky Squire, and Return to Monkey Island. Every purchase supports Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that unites military veterans, first responders, and civilians to deliver aid where it's needed most. By joining in, you're not just building your library, you're helping communities recover and rebuild. And don't miss this special bonus deal. Use the coupon code SEP2510, S-E-P-2-5-1-0 to get one month of choice for only $10. I'm Damon Hatfield, this is Kingo, and for all your video game news, stay tuned for IGN.

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