Forza Horizon 5 director Mike Brown (creative director at Playground Games) doesn't think Xbox Game Pass is living up to its hype. In a recent interview, he said the subscription service "isn't quite landing" and "not fully delivering on its promise" — a rare public critique from a developer whose flagship title launched day-one on the platform.
Brown's comments cut to the heart of a tension that's been simmering inside Microsoft's game studios for years. Game Pass is supposed to be the ultimate win-win: players get a massive library for a monthly fee, and developers get a guaranteed audience and recurring revenue from Microsoft. But the reality, according to Brown, is more complicated.
What the Forza Horizon 5 Director Actually Said
Speaking on a podcast, Brown acknowledged that Game Pass has been great for discoverability and getting games into more hands. But he questioned whether the current model properly compensates developers for the sales they lose when players choose to subscribe instead of buy. "It's not quite landing in the way that we all hoped it would," he said.
Brown didn't single out Forza Horizon 5 specifically — the game has sold millions and been a massive success. But his concern is systemic. If a subscription service becomes the primary way people play premium games, the economics of making those games may shift in unpredictable ways.
Why This Critique Matters
Microsoft has bet the farm on Game Pass. The company spent $69 billion acquiring Activision Blizzard largely to feed the service with blockbuster content. Entire internal studios — from Bethesda to Obsidian — are now structured around releasing games directly into the subscription model. Brown's voice is one of the first to publicly question whether that bet is paying off for the developers actually making the games.
It's a question that goes beyond Microsoft. Sony's AI-driven approach to PS Plus (using algorithms to recommend and optimize content) and the broader AI arms race in subscription curation are all attempts to solve the same equation: how do you make a $10/month service sustainable when each game costs hundreds of millions to make?
Developers Are Split on the Subscription Model
Brown isn't alone in his skepticism. Several indie developers have reported that Game Pass deals, while providing upfront cash, can actually hurt long-term sales on platforms like Steam. The concern is that subscribers play through a game quickly and move on, never building the kind of word-of-mouth that drives traditional sales. For a game like Forza Horizon 5, which relies on a steady stream of new players buying expansions and car packs, that dynamic could be especially damaging.
But not everyone agrees. Some studios have praised Game Pass for giving their games a massive launch audience they wouldn't have gotten otherwise. It's a gamble that depends heavily on the type of game, the size of the studio, and the revenue split Microsoft offers.
The Hardware Angle: Subscriptions and Handhelds
Brown's comments also arrive as Microsoft pushes Game Pass onto more devices. The service is now available on the ASUS ROG Ally and other handheld gaming PCs, which rely on streaming or native compatibility with Windows. That's a play for the portable audience, but it also raises the question: if Game Pass is the primary way to play on these devices, are developers seeing a fair return?
Handhelds like the ROG Ally are powered by AMD chips, and the hardware ecosystem is evolving fast. But the subscription model on these devices is still immature. Developers may find themselves competing for a limited pool of subscriber hours rather than a broader market of individual buyers.
The Counterpoint: Game Pass Still Works for Many
For all the criticism, Game Pass remains a wildly popular service with over 30 million subscribers. It's been a boon for smaller games and Game Pass-specific titles like Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment. The service has also helped Microsoft compete with Sony's PlayStation Plus, which has its own subscription tier.
But Brown's argument is that the current model may not be sustainable for the kind of big-budget, premium games that Microsoft is known for. If the service can't adequately compensate the developers of flagship titles like Forza Horizon, Halo, or Starfield, then the entire strategy is on shaky ground.
What Comes Next for Game Pass
Microsoft has already started experimenting with different tiers and pricing. The company recently raised the price of Game Pass Ultimate and introduced a cheaper "Core" tier. Rumor has it that Microsoft is considering a "family plan" and more aggressive bundling with hardware.
Brown's comments suggest that developers are watching these changes closely. If the subscription model is going to work for everyone, Microsoft needs to find a way to make it more than just a great deal for players. It needs to be a great deal for the people making the games, too.
Whether that means higher per-game payouts, shorter exclusivity windows, or a completely different revenue split is still unclear. But one thing is certain: the tension between subscriptions and traditional sales isn't going away. And when a developer of Brown's stature speaks up, it's worth listening.
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