Following on from the overhaul of Xbox Game Pass last week, users soon discovered that a key perk of the Game Pass subscription had gone missing, with Microsoft now confirming that, yes, they have removed the 10% discount on digital purchases of games and DLC from the Game Pass library that subscribers could previously take advantage of.
With some having initially suspected that this was being targeted at Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 DLC, Microsoft has now confirmed the full extent of the change.
In a statement to IGN, they’ve admitted that the blanket discount has gone, but that subscribers will instead receive a loyalty scheme bonus with Microsoft Rewards.
“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. See more detail on the Game Pass Rewards program here.”
While users can still get money back, this is a downgrade on a number of levels. For one thing, it’s more hoops to jump through, instead of just giving you money off at the point of purchase, and for another, the Rewards scheme is not available globally. Rewards are available in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States. Everywhere else? No rewards for you.
It’s another sting in the tail after Microsoft revamped the Xbox Game Pass subscription, making Game Pass Ultimate 50% more expensive, with the excuse of bundling in Ubisoft+ games, the Fortnite Crew subscription, and promising 75+ day one game launches. Even so, that makes it $30 per month, instead of $20, and that dramatically changes the value proposition.
Source: IGN
