By Olivia Davis | Apr 24, 2026
The timing of this leak coincides with Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma's public acknowledgment that Xbox Game Pass is becoming difficult for many gamers to afford, so it will likely not be a coincidence at all.
The Starter Edition in the US and Canada?
From what I can tell based on information found on social media, it appears that Xbox Game Pass is set to introduce a new tier (the Starter Edition), which will be bundled with the Discord Nitro subscription. The Starter Edition was once referred to using the codenames 'Triton' and 'Duet,' but the details are now coming out.
The Starter Edition will include 10 hours of monthly Xbox Cloud Gaming, receive access to all Xbox Rewards, and more than 50 titles in the Xbox Game Pass Library. Among other titles, it's believed that Fallout 4 and Stardew Valley are included in this subscription tier. Discord Nitro charges $9.99/month or $99.99/year, comparable to Xbox Game Pass Essential.
The Starter Edition may match Essential's game selection, though it hasn't been confirmed. This leak follows Xbox's announcement of lowering two current tiers' pricing: Ultimate dropped from $29.99/month to $22.99/month, and PC Game Pass dropped from $16.99/month to $13.99/month; However, both reductions involve the caveat that new Call of Duty titles will no longer launch on Xbox Game Pass on Day One but instead will be added to the service post-release (one year after launch) at no cost.
What's Next for Xbox Game Pass
A potential Starter Edition isn't the only potential change to Xbox Game Pass; other rumors suggest Microsoft is looking at adding a Pick Your Own Plan feature whereby subscribers can customize their monthly experience by selecting add-ons, such as WoW subscriptions or streaming services (i.e., Netflix). Xbox Game Pass currently has 4 different tiers, the lowest being Essential, $9.99/month, all the way up to Ultimate, $22.99/month, which includes access to first-party Xbox releases & select third-party releases on Day One.
Also included in the above-mentioned potential additions are upcoming Day One releases (ex, roguelike co-op title: Tears of Metal, and anticipated: Forza Horizon 6).
Microsoft Gaming is also considering further rebranding under Xbox; therefore, it appears that 2026 is the year for continued transformation for the platform. As always, leaked information should be taken with a grain of salt until confirmed via official channels, but given the trend of recent activity, Xbox appears to be working towards making Game Pass more accessible and providing greater flexibility for a wider range of players.
