Overview

• Emails verified by The Verge say existing auto-recurring subscribers in countries including Austria, Germany, Ireland, Israel, South Korea, Poland, and India can keep current rates for now, but will pay the new price if they cancel and rejoin.
• Microsoft confirmed it has removed Game Pass subscriber discounts on DLC and in-game add-ons and will instead award Microsoft Rewards points (10% for Ultimate, 5% for Premium) on select purchases, while Ultimate retains a 20% discount on select full games.
• Rewards policy changes mean points can no longer be redeemed directly for subscriptions, requiring users to accrue enough for gift cards to cover the cost instead.
• In the US and UK, existing members are still slated to move to higher rates, with reporting indicating November 4 for many US renewals, and new subscribers are already charged the increased price.
• Coverage notes strong consumer pushback and market workarounds, with some retailers including GameStop continuing to sell Ultimate codes at the previous $19.99 price, and separate reporting by Bloomberg citing an unconfirmed internal estimate of a $300 million sales hit tied to Call of Duty’s Game Pass placement.