As Microsoft’s sweeping layoffs continue to send shockwaves through the gaming industry, the sustainability of Xbox Game Pass has once again come under scrutiny—this time from two prominent industry figures.
Raphaël Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios and creative force behind acclaimed titles like Dishonored and Prey, has spoken out on social media, calling into question the long-term viability of the Game Pass subscription model. In a candid post, Colantonio referred to the service as “the elephant in the room” in relation to recent cuts that have affected Xbox and several of its associated developers.
When asked to elaborate, he didn’t hold back:
“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.”
Shortly after Colantonio’s comments gained traction, Michael Douse, Director of Publishing at Baldur’s Gate 3 studio Larian, added his voice to the discussion. Douse echoed the concern over the service’s long-term economic impact, particularly for developers evaluating whether to sign onto Game Pass.
“What happens when all that money runs out?” he wrote. “It’s 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 primary concern shared by both is the potential for Game Pass to cannibalize traditional game sales. While Microsoft pays developers to include their games in the Game Pass library, critics argue this model could become harmful over time—especially if it becomes the dominant way people access games.
Douse did acknowledge some benefits for indie developers and smaller teams, noting that Game Pass can help mitigate risk on uncertain projects. However, he stopped short of endorsing it as a sustainable, long-term solution. Instead, he pointed to Sony’s model—where games follow a more traditional lifecycle before potentially hitting subscription services—as a healthier alternative.
Colantonio closed his remarks by suggesting that Game Pass could be less harmful if it focused strictly on back catalogue content rather than new releases.
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