Mike Ibarra Criticizes Xbox Price Increase

Just yesterday, we revisited an unpleasant topic: console price increases, highlighting the greater expenses that American Xbox buyers will be forced to bear. A multitude of factors have been cited to justify the continuous hikes in recent years: the pandemic, the semiconductor crisis, rampant inflation, unfavorable exchange rates, tariffs, etc. But there are those who are much more critical about it.

Ibarra Lashes Out Against Microsoft

Mike Ibarra, former president of Blizzard Entertainment, took to Twitter/X the day after the Xbox price increase announcement to share his thoughts on the matter. In his view, these price changes reflect a profit problem, an issue much deeper than just tariffs. Moreover, the increases have been applied on multiple occasions, without corresponding multiple increases in tariffs.

For this reason, according to Ibarra, the tariffs are just an excuse to justify constant increases over time: the real problem should be sought elsewhere, and at this moment, consumers are being made to pay for it.

Console price increases are not tariff issues, they are profit issues. And the reason why profits are not where they should be is a far, far deeper issue vs. the tariff excuse.

— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) September 19, 2025

Yes. And tariffs went up once so that does justify the single price increase. An excuse to continue raising prices, with no new increase in tariffs, is simply a different problem and they are going to make consumers continue to pay for those problems.

— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) September 20, 2025