Arkane Founder goes after Game Pass: "Unsustainable and harmful"

In the wake of major layoffs at Microsoft, he's calling out Xbox Game Pass as a broken, unsustainable model.

Published 2025-07-07

The founder of Arkane Studios has launched a scathing critique of Game Pass on social media following last week's wave of layoffs at Microsoft. He argues that Game Pass is an unsustainable business model that has been "damaging the industry for over a decade," thanks to Microsoft's seemingly bottomless wallet — but warns that once the money dries up, reality will catch up. Colantonio goes on to explain that Game Pass simply cannot continue to exist alongside traditional game sales.

"I think Gamepass is an unsustainable model that has been increasingly damaging the industry for a decade, subsidized by MS's 'infinite money,' but at some point reality has to hit. I don't think GP can co-exist with other models, they'll either kill everyone else, or give up."

And he's not alone. Michael Douse, publishing director at Larian (Baldur's Gate 3), echoed his concerns. While he admits Game Pass might help reduce risk for smaller developers, the bigger question is what happens when that money is no longer there. Both he and Colantonio argue that the model doesn't suit premium, day-one titles — it only really works for older back-catalogue games. Douse also noted he prefers Sony's "lifecycle management" approach.

"'What happens when all that money runs out?' is the most vocal concern in my network, and one of the main economic reasons people I know haven't shifted to its business model. The infinite money thing never made any sense."

The criticism doesn't stop there. On gaming forums like ResetEra, users have also voiced frustration. One commenter writes, "Game Pass costs people jobs," and argues it "trains players to be cheap."

And that might be the real crux of the matter. While consumers love the low price and instant access, Game Pass goes directly against the grain of ballooning development costs — in an era where AAA games cost more than ever to make.

So what do you think about Game Pass? Smart consumer model — or slow death for premium game development?

Back