Four years ago, Microsoft launched a trial of something they called Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Friends & Family in both Colombia and Ireland. It was a way to share a subscription with up to four other people living in the same country. This was very well received, and in 2023 it was introduced in even more countries.
But... just a few months later, the program was shut down without any further explanation, and since then, there has been no family plan for Game Pass. Recently, we reported on what Xbox fans are hoping for most from Xbox, following the launch of a digital suggestion box, and a family plan for Game Pass ranked fifth.
So what happened? Why did this disappear? Now, Windows Central editor Jez Corden reports that there is actually a reason, and it's spelled E-A. As is well known, their EA Play service is integrated into Game Pass Ultimate, and according to Corden, they were not at all pleased with Friends & Family:
"I was told EA, who is a long-term contractee within the Xbox Game Pass ecosystem, fully hated the idea. It sucks because EA does the absolute bare minimum with its Game Pass involvement, refusing to put Xbox PC native versions with Play Anywhere or Xbox achievements out."
Considering how few games EA actually releases to EA Play these days (mostly sports games past their prime), it feels like many would probably think it's a good trade-off to kick EA out of Game Pass and bring back the family subscription.
It's worth noting that this isn't officially confirmed information, but what do you think about this?