We at NerdLeaks are following a fresh claim about the long-mooted Game Pass Family plan — and if true, it points squarely at one heavyweight publisher as a major blocker. According to Pure Xbox, Windows Central reporter Jez Corden has suggested that the cancellation of Xbox’s Family Plan “wasn’t actually Microsoft’s fault,” and that EA “fully hated the idea.” Take this with a pinch of salt — but it’s the clearest attribution we’ve seen for why the Friends & Family tests never turned into a live tier.
What was reported
Per Pure Xbox, Xbox ran multiple tests for a Friends & Family or Family Plan across 2022 and 2023, only for the program to be suggested as put “on hiatus” at the end of 2023. At that time Phil Spencer reportedly said his team needed to find a way to make the Friends & Family offer work “for both creators and players,” and that there remained a roadmap to try and build something later on.
Now, in 2026, Jez Corden has been quoted as saying the cancellation may have been driven largely by publisher pushback. In Corden’s words (as relayed by Pure Xbox):
- “Here's another painfully canceled project, although I heard this one wasn't actually Microsoft's fault. Microsoft was testing a Family Plan for Xbox Game Pass, giving up to four users access to the library in exchange for a discount.”
- “I was told EA, who is a long-term contractee within the Xbox Game Pass ecosystem, fully hated the idea.”
Pure Xbox also notes the reasonable caveat that even if Corden’s claim is accurate, ultimate decisions sit with Microsoft — and Microsoft may have decided publisher concerns were too business-critical to ignore.
Source and credibility
We’re relying on a chain of reporting here: Pure Xbox is relaying what it says it heard from Jez Corden of Windows Central. Jez Corden is identified in the reporting as the person who flagged EA’s alleged opposition. If true, that would mean a major publisher exerted significant influence over a subscription feature Microsoft had been experimenting with.
That said, this is secondhand reporting of an assertion — so we’re cautious. The claim is framed as “what he’s heard,” and Pure Xbox itself suggests that EA was likely not the only factor. In short: the attribution carries weight because of the named reporter, but it remains an allegation rather than confirmed corporate fact. We therefore advise readers to treat the claim as plausible but unproven.
What it could mean
If EA did indeed push back hard against a Friends & Family plan, the implications are worth considering — if true:
- Publisher economics may have been the central sticking point. Per the reporting, making a Family Plan “work for both creators and players” was a stated concern from Xbox leadership, suggesting royalty or revenue mechanics were part of the problem.
- EA being “the biggest-sized critics” (to borrow one of the reactions quoted) could have been a decisive factor even if not the sole reason. The reporting explicitly says it’s “probably not” the only reason, but it “might have been a big one.”
- Practical work-arounds exist on paper — for example, splitting EA content out of a Family tier — but we don’t have confirmation Microsoft explored or rejected those specific options.
Also worth noting: the Family Plan retains visible demand. Pure Xbox highlights that the plan was sitting high in fan requests (fifth most-requested on Xbox’s feedback list at the time mentioned in the reporting). That suggests any final decision to shelve or cancel a Family tier carries consumer frustration risk if publishers are the main obstacle.
The reporting even names a potential executive who could influence future developments: Pure Xbox finishes on the note that “it'll be interesting to see if Asha Sharma makes it happen.” We don’t know whether she will, but the comment flags there are still internal routes to revive or redesign the concept.
Why This Matters
Allegations that a single publisher “fully hated the idea” of a Family Plan touch on the broader tension between subscription services and third-party rights holders. If what Jez Corden reportedly heard is accurate, it shows how fragile new subscription tiers can be when they collide with existing commercial arrangements.
For players, a workable Family Plan would be a big quality-of-life win — and Pure Xbox’s reporting demonstrates that demand is alive. For Microsoft and publishers like EA, the report reminds us how important contract terms and publisher confidence are in shaping the subscription products players ultimately see. If true, this is a story about leverage, negotiation and the limits of experimentation.
We’ll keep pressing on this and will update if we get direct confirmation from the parties involved. In the meantime, tell us: would you still want a Game Pass Family tier even if it excluded some publisher content? Let us know — we’re watching this one closely, and we’ll take every claim with a pinch of salt until it’s directly confirmed.
