Ori Director Says Game Pass Needed More Hits, Not ‘Mediocre Content’

Moon Studios CEO Thomas. Mahler has deliered a blunt assessment of Xbox Game Pass, arguing that Microsoft's subscription strategy could have worked if the company had consistently produced more compelling games.

Mahler, who directed both Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, shared his comments in response to 3D Realms founder Geroge Broussard questioning whether Microsoft had acquired. too many studios while trying to build its Game Pass business.

According to Mahler, the underlying. subscription model was not necessarily the problem. Instead, he believes Xbox failed to build a catalogue strong enough to persuade players to continue paying every month.

He compared Game Pass with television streaming services such as HBO, which can retain subscribers through an established library of acclaimed shows. Games, he argued, depend more heavily on a consistent supply of exciting new releases.

Xbox needed more games that felt like major events

Mahler said Microsoft's studios needed. to produce "smash hits". capable of becoming cultural events. that a broad audience felt compelled to play.

He questioned which recent Xbox release could be described as a universally appealing, "delightfully good" game, before arguing that many of Microsoft's first-party studios had struggled to meet expectations.

Bethesda's Starfield was offered as one example. Mahler suggested the game was expected to deliver a more ambitious evolution of the studio's established formula - effectively a modern "Skyrim in space" - but failed to achieve the same impact.

His criticism extended beyond the individual games themselves. Mahler argued that Microsoft needed a stronger understanding of what players wanted and commercial agreements that encouraged developers to pursue exceptional releases rather than "slop out mediocre content like a factory."

The Moon Studios boss also controversially compared aspects of Game Pass with communism, claiming that developers may lack sufficient icentive to "go the extra mile" when success is measured primarily through supplying content to a subscription catalogue.

Mahler's argument is that Game Pass needed games strong enough. to create a fear of missing out among players. Without those major releases, he believes consumers had little reason to maintain an ongoing subscription.

Microsoft’s recent review scores offer a counterpoint

Mahler’s assessment is ultimately subjective, and Microsoft’s recent critical performance presents a more complicated picture.

Metacritic ranked Microsoft as the fifth-best publisher of 2025, with an average Metascore of 80. Around 81% of the company’s scored products received positive reviews, while none fell into Metacritic’s negative category.

Those figures include games released through Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, Activision and Blizzard. Microsoft’s highest-rated release of the year was the PlayStation 5 version of Forza Horizon 5, rather than a new Xbox-exclusive title.

The rankings therefore do not directly disprove Mahler’s broader argument. A publisher can release several well-reviewed games without producing the kind of new, platform-defining blockbuster capable of attracting and retaining millions of subscription customers.

Xbox has not shared updated Game Pass subscriber numbers

Microsoft’s last publicly confirmed Game Pass subscriber figure was 34 million in February 2024. That number included members of Game Pass Core, the service that replaced Xbox Live Gold.

The company has not subsequently provided a newer official subscriber total, making it difficult to independently assess how the service has performed following major additions such as Call of Duty and Microsoft’s subsequent changes to Game Pass pricing and subscription tiers.

Mahler’s comments nevertheless reflect a continuing debate surrounding Xbox’s strategy: whether Game Pass’s challenges stem from the subscription model itself or Microsoft’s ability to consistently produce games that players consider essential.

FAQ

What did the Ori director say about Xbox Game Pass?

Thomas Mahler said Game Pass could have worked, but argued that Microsoft failed to deliver enough high-quality new games capable of convincing players to maintain their subscriptions.

Who is Thomas Mahler?

Thomas Mahler is the CEO of Moon Studios and served as director on Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Moon Studios is also developing No Rest for the Wicked.

How many subscribers does Xbox Game Pass have?

Microsoft last confirmed that Xbox Game Pass had 34 million subscribers in February 2024. The figure included Game Pass Core members, and Microsoft has not publicly announced a newer official total.

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