Fernando Rizo, a partner at Kaboodle Games, claimed on The Business of Video Game podcast that developers negotiating contracts with Microsoft to bring their games to Xbox Game Pass were told their deals have been put on hold. According to Rizo, developers "who were in the frame for Game Pass deals got the rug pulled out from under them."
Rizo clarified he has no access to internal Microsoft conversations but spoke with multiple studios affected by the pause. He suggested the shift may stem from new Xbox leadership wanting to realign strategy before resuming fresh investments in the service.
Pure Xbox reported that Microsoft has no "blanket plans" to permanently end funding for third-party titles, implying the pauses are temporary. Still, independent developers report immediate impact on ongoing negotiations. Game Pass continues receiving third-party launches like Subnautica 2 and Persona 5 Royal, but the pace of new deals appears to have slowed.
