https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2022/01/18/welcoming-activision-blizzard-to-microsoft-gaming/

I've would've expected more actually, thanks to Jez Corden saying that it was at 23 million back in April 2021, now it feels underwhelming

I don't who Jez Corden is but it was at 18M last January. I'd say that's steady growth. Considering they had both Halo and Forza last year they might have expected a little more, but I'd say it's neither impressive nor disappointing.

An Xbox "insider"

https://www.vgchartz.com/article/448433/rumor-xbox-game-pass-tops-23-million-subscribers-as-of-april-20/

He also admitted later that he was wrong about that figure.

He said "probably 22 million yeah".

But since then, everybody assumed it was correct, we even got this kind of article https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2021/04/22/30-million-xbox-game-pass-subscriptions-by-halo-infinite-seems-guaranteed/

Knowing these new numbers it just seems unlikely to me that subs grew 5 million in just three months, and then just 2 more million for the rest of the year despite heavy hitters like Halo, Forza and Back 4 Blood.

I was wondering if anyone cared about it in the news :) Cause yah, they actually announced numbers and they are good! 25M baby, and this will grow like crazy in the future with all those games from Act/Bliz. Microsoft bet is really paying off.

It was already established last year that the 23 million figure was incorrect. The actual number was about 20 million in June, so in about 7 months they added 5 million subs and 7 million subs in 12 months. That is still pretty good, and this number will continue to grow.

There is a possibility that people unsubbed and came back for Forza and Halo.

Pretty safe to say that stuff like COD will cause massive growth in the next 2-3 years.