Arkane Studios founder Raphael Colantonio had some harsh phrases for Recreation Cross in a thread on X, calling it an “unstainable mannequin” that is “damaging the trade.” He additionally mentioned that Microsoft’s capability to throw “infinite cash” on the platform will ultimately wane as a result of “actuality has to hit.”
Colantonio continued by saying Microsoft will “kill everybody else, or surrender” and that avid gamers solely just like the service as a result of “the provide is simply too good to be true.” He additionally wrote that these similar gamers will activate the platform when “they notice the consequences on the video games,” alluding that the Netflix-style method permits for underwhelming titles.
Why is no-one speaking concerning the elephant within the room? Cough cough (Gamepass)
— Raphael Colantonio (@rafcolantonio) July 5, 2025
His remarks observe final week’s main layoffs, during which Microsoft let go of over 9,000 people. Most of the impacted staff have been concerned with the corporate’s gaming divisions and first-party builders. Halo Studios lost people, as did the Sweet Crush maker King. Some studios were shuttered and a bunch of games were cancelled. It sucked.
Nevertheless, the final consensus is that Microsoft’s continued investment in AI played a role in these layoffs, and never the existence of Recreation Cross. Colantonio says that AI’s involvement “is likely to be a BS excuse.”
Whereas there is not any proof that the subscription-based catalog service contributed to the job cuts, there may be some information that means Game Pass hurts the sales numbers of titles below its umbrella. This makes a certain quantity of sense. AAA video games are $70 and Recreation Cross is $10 to $20 monthly. Anecdotally, I picked up a subscription to play Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle as an alternative of shopping for the sport straight from Bethesda.
Arkane Studios is the agency behind video games like Deathloop, Dishonored and Prey. The corporate’s at present engaged on a recreation based mostly on Marvel’s resident vampire hunter Blade.
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