Arkane Studios Founder Criticises Xbox Game Pass Model as ‘Unsustainable’ and ‘Damaging’
Raphael Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios and creative director behind acclaimed titles like Dishonored and Prey, has voiced sharp criticism of Xbox’s Game Pass subscription model, describing it as “unsustainable” and “damaging” to the gaming industry.
In a recent post on social media, Colantonio questioned why the industry isn’t more openly discussing what he called the “elephant in the room” – referring to Game Pass in the wake of widespread layoffs across Microsoft’s gaming division.
“I think Game Pass is an unsustainable model that has been increasingly damaging the industry for a decade, subsidized by Microsoft’s ‘infinite money’,” Colantonio wrote. “At some point, reality has to hit. I don’t think it can co-exist with other models – they’ll either kill everyone else, or give up.”
His comments sparked further discussion, including input from Michael Douse, publishing director at Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios. Douse echoed concerns about the long-term viability of the model, saying many in his network worry about what happens “when all that money runs out.”
Douse acknowledged that Game Pass can be beneficial for small studios looking to reduce financial risk, but said its advantages stop there. He compared it unfavorably to Sony’s more traditional release and pricing approach, calling the latter’s “lifecycle management” strategy a more sustainable option for developers.
The conversation also touched on the issue of “cannibalisation,” with developers fearing that launching on Game Pass might diminish full-price sales. Colantonio concluded by suggesting that Game Pass might be better suited for hosting back-catalogue titles, where it wouldn’t directly compete with new releases.
The debate comes at a time of mounting scrutiny over subscription models and their impact on the economics of game development.
