Xbox Game Pass was a good idea in theory, former Forza Horizon 5 director says, but "the reality is not enough people have subscribed"

Mike Brown, the former director of Forza Horizon 5, has some blunt thoughts about Xbox Game Pass. In a recent interview with MinnMax, Brown said the subscription service was a "well-meaning player-focused concept" that simply didn't attract enough subscribers to sustain itself.

Brown, who now leads the open-world racer Clutch at Maverick Games, was asked about the massive restructuring at Xbox. The company has seen layoffs, studio closures, and a shift in strategy over the past year.

Why This Matters

For anyone who's watched Xbox spend billions on studios and day-one releases, Brown's comments offer a rare inside perspective. Game Pass was supposed to be the future, but the math never quite worked out.

Brown explained that Microsoft "invested a fortune in the concept of Game Pass as a service," leading to acquisitions, funded games, and hiring sprees. The goal was a steady stream of games for subscribers.

But the reality was different.

"The reality is not enough people have subscribed to it at the prices that they needed to pay in order to make that business viable."

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That shortfall, Brown said, is why we're now seeing studios shut down or spun off. "Loads of people are going to lose their jobs," he added, calling it a sad outcome for a well-intentioned idea.

Recent reports suggest Game Pass numbers were well below internal targets. Last year's price hike was likely an attempt to fix the economics, though new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma later backtracked on it, partly to keep Call of Duty on the service day one.

How Did We Get Here?

Brown defended the concept itself, calling Game Pass "a good idea" that made gaming more accessible and funded diverse titles. But the subscriber base just wasn't big enough to support Microsoft's ambitions.

He also had kind words for former Xbox leader Sarah Bond, who was replaced earlier this year. "Every time she spoke, she was so sharp, intelligent, impressive," Brown said.

At the time of writing, Game Pass remains a core part of Xbox's strategy, but its future role is uncertain. The company's plan for console exclusives and multiplatform releases is still murky.

For more on Xbox's shifting strategy, check out our coverage of the recent Xbox layoffs and analysis of Game Pass price changes. We've also tracked the impact on studios like Tango Gameworks and the future of day-one releases on the service.