GamePass Ultimate price hike not for subscribed users in several countries

Better not cancel now.

It’s been a confusing week for Xbox fans, first the Game Pass updates, then non-stop rumors about hardware cancellations. Even though the company denied any changes to its hardware roadmap, it’s hard to believe their statements when they seem to be drifting away from what gamers actually want.

The recent price hike and plan changes for Game Pass have ignited backlash across the gaming community. Just weeks before the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Microsoft executives decided to raise the price for the Ultimate tier, a move that didn’t go over well.

Interestingly, the price increase may not affect everyone , at least not those in countries with stronger consumer protections. Microsoft confirmed that as long as users remain subscribed, their price will not change until they switch or cancel tiers. It appears Microsoft didn’t fully think this through. a situation similar to what’s often seen with telecom or software companies that introduce new tiers like “Ultimate Pro,” effectively bypassing such protections.

Email sent to some Game Pass subscribers, Source: The Verge

Emails about these changes were sent to Game Pass subscribers in Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Poland, and India. If you already have an active Game Pass subscription in these regions, you won’t see a price increase (immediately).

Microsoft also stated that if any account changes occur, users will have 60 days to either cancel or accept new subscription terms. In practice, this means updating anything on your account may trigger the need to accept the revised terms.

Is anyone still subscribed for the next few years through the gift card method? From what I recall, it effectively gave users 2.5 years of subscription for the cost of (now) 3 months. Crazy to think Microsoft isn’t aware that many gamers will subscribe but at a much lower price. There’s also NVIDIA GeForce NOW way, which introduces monthly hour limits. In any case, the rumor has it, Microsoft will introduce Cloud Gaming with ads soon.

Source: The Verge