Xbox capitalizes on Starfield hype as $1 Game Pass trial gets removed

Xbox has once again removed its initial $1/£1 Game Pass trial ahead of a jam-packed September release schedule, meaning you will now have to pay full price for the subscription service if you want to play Starfield, Lies of P, and Payday 3 upon launch. Microsoft’s move to get rid of the offer comes after they had previously decided to slash the month-long trial to 14 days – a decision that was predictably met with backlash as soon as it was announced.

Of course, this move from Microsoft doesn’t exactly come as a surprise since the impending approach of the Starfield release date is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest events. Naturally, the hype surrounding the extraterrestrial RPG will undoubtedly be enough to entice fans to spend more on the subscription even with the recent Game Pass price rise.

As mentioned before, though, Starfield isn’t the only game that subscribers can look forward to in the coming month. Even if you’re not a fan of Bethesda’s interplanetary saga, other significant launches like the Lies of P release date and Payday 3 will surely make your subscription worth it in the short-term. The end of the year also brings in a number of other fan-favorite entries including Forza Motorsport and Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, so there should be plenty of options in store for every player.

It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time Xbox has removed their initial $1 Game Pass trial. Back in March 2023, they had also withdrawn their popular introductory offer out of the blue. Though it did eventually make a sudden return in July of the same year, the Microsoft gaming brand has now decided to get rid of it again, however, their reason for taking it away this time around is much more understandable than before.