Microsoft has confirmed a significant change to its Xbox Game Pass benefits, announcing the discontinuation of DLC discounts in favor of a new Rewards points system.
This move follows a controversial update to Xbox Game Pass last week, where it was discovered that the 10% discount on DLC for Game Pass titles, previously available to Ultimate subscribers, had been removed. This change initially gained attention within the Call of Duty community, as Ultimate subscribers found they could no longer get 10% off COD Points or Blackcell, the premium battle pass version. This discount was highly valued by players accessing Call of Duty through Game Pass.
Further investigation revealed that this discount removal wasn’t limited to Call of Duty; it applied to the majority of individual DLC packs across the entire Game Pass library. Notably, this alteration was not mentioned in Microsoft’s recent announcement regarding the price increase for the Ultimate subscription.
Microsoft has since released a statement, confirming the change and directing subscribers to its official website for more details. The statement clarifies: “This is not specific to any one game and reflects all games and DLC purchases. Instead of a discount on the purchases, Ultimate and Premium subscribers will earn 10% and 5% — respectively — in points when purchasing select games and add-ons from the Game Pass library. Ultimate members continue to have 20% discount on select games from the Game Pass library. On top of that, all Rewards members will earn points when shopping games and add-ons on the Store, while Premium and Ultimate subscribers will earn even more, 2x and 4x respectively.”
This strategy appears to be a common retail approach: Microsoft aims to keep customer funds circulating within its own ecosystem. By providing Reward points instead of upfront savings, customers are encouraged to spend the full amount on purchases and then use the accrued points for gift cards or other items within the Xbox environment, rather than saving actual money.
This development marks the latest in a challenging week for Xbox Game Pass. It began with considerable backlash over Microsoft’s decision to increase the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $19.99 to $29.99 per month, an additional $120 per year.
To justify this price hike for Ultimate, Microsoft highlighted several new additions, including an increase to 75 day-one releases per year, the inclusion of Fortnite Crew, and Ubisoft+ Classics for the first time. Subscribers will also benefit from upgrades to Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming quality.
Ubisoft+ Classics, typically valued at $7.99 / £6.99 per month per platform, is now integrated into the Ultimate tier. Starting November 18, Fortnite Crew, which costs $11.99 / £9.99 monthly, will also be part of Ultimate, offering access to the Fortnite Battle Pass and 1,000 V-Bucks each month.
The improvements to cloud gaming promise enhanced performance, with Ultimate subscribers reportedly enjoying “our best quality streaming and shortest wait times.” Microsoft also announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming has officially moved out of its beta phase, reflecting a commitment to “smoother and more responsive” gameplay.
Microsoft asserts that the new $30 monthly Ultimate price reflects “the expanded catalog, new partner benefits, and upgraded cloud gaming experience.”
Furthermore, the new Premium tier (formerly Standard) will offer new Xbox-published games within a year of their launch, but specifically excludes Call of Duty titles. This essentially compels players who wish to access Call of Duty games promptly via Game Pass to subscribe to the Ultimate tier, costing $360 annually. And now, even that tier no longer provides the 10% discount on COD Points or BlackCell.
Many fans are now re-evaluating whether the Game Pass subscription still offers good value. For example, Black Ops 7, which recently entered beta ahead of its November launch, is a $70 game (Microsoft had previously considered an $80 price point for titles like Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds 2 but adjusted due to player feedback). A recent poll indicates that a significant portion of the audience will not subscribe to Game Pass at all, while others plan to continue with Ultimate despite the increased price.