Update:Â In an admittedly sick dunk on dumb game journos like me, the official Xbox Game Pass Twitter account posted this meme last night about their re-brand:
While everyone likely was able to read between the lines that dropping "Xbox" was simply in terms of the actual word (given the logo was still there), it does clear up confusion for people who might only read headlines. Now, if only they could clear up why they are removing Xbox Live Gold options ahead of the Xbox Series X...
Original reporting follows
Microsoft is shaking things up as we ebb out of this generation -- including their stylization for their new flagship subscription service. In a new update on Twitter, it looks like Xbox has swapped the logo to something a bit less console-specific. Instead of "Xbox Game Pass," the service logo now simply states "Game Pass." And the move definitely leans into Microsoft's strategy for Xbox Series X.
Seen in the featured image above, Microsoft revealed the change in a new Tweet. Saying "Trying out a new look," you can catch that the featured image is simply a green variant of the new logo design:
As a point of comparison, this is what the old logo and design used to look like:
Okay, with this in mind... why? First off, it is clear that they aren't dropping the Xbox branding -- the signature X logo is to the left of "Game Pass," making it less redundant. So don't take this as a move of brand erasure from Microsoft.
More importantly, this is likely a move for Xbox to lean into the "Game Service" and ecosystem mantra that they seem to be heading in. While Xbox is still prevalent in the name, the new title and branding seems to pair better with the service on PC and (eventually) coming to mobile devices via xCloud.
There's a lot of evidence that Xbox Game Pass is getting a major shakeup in the coming months. For one, it appears that Microsoft is quietly removing long-term options for Xbox Live Gold -- leading many to wonder if online subscription costs are going to roll into Game Pass, or disappear entirely. On top of that, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be picking up Project xCloud for free once the project starts rolling out.
In any case, the Xbox Series X is planning to launch Holiday 2020. If you are looking to subscribe to the service, you can sign up for a 3-month subscription via Amazon to help support DualShockers.