Report: Microsoft pays up to $50 million per game when making Game Pass deals

Running Game Pass isn't cheap, and Microsoft pays up to $50 million to license games content for the subscription service.

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Xbox Game Pass has been in the headlines lately, with lots of speculation swirling around the service's profitability. While Microsoft has said repeatedly that Game Pass is profitable, and we've been able to ascertain Game Pass revenues, no one has been able to figure out actual profits due to uncertain operational costs. Now we have a better idea of how much money it costs to operate and maintain a service like Game Pass.

According to ex-Xbox business manager Iain MacIntyre, who had actually discovered Vampire Survivors and had been laid off as part of Microsoft's 9,000-employee layoff spree, Microsoft will pay anywhere from $50,000 to $50 million in game licensing deals to secure content for Game Pass.

It's impossible to know how much Microsoft spends on Game Pass content, but there's only a handful of games so prestigious to justify $50 million deals. For reference, Grand Theft Auto V appeared on Xbox Game Pass two separate times--first in January 2020, and then more recently in April 2025.

"Negotiated 500+ deals ranging from $50k to over $50m, securing both indie hits and AAA titles for Game Pass," MacIntyre's profile reads.

"As a core member of the Xbox 3rd party, Game Pass and Content Strategy teams, I specialized in worldwide business development and contract negotiations with 3rd party developers and publishers. I've driven Game Pass's growth from inception to over 30 million subscribers, establishing it as the world's leading gaming subscription service. My expertise in identifying, curating, and signing standout titles has kept Xbox at the forefront of the industry."

There's too much ambiguity around the numbers to clearly understand how the fee structure works. For example, it's likely that Microsoft would pay out a huge $50 million content deal in multiple installments throughout a planned period rather than all at once.