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Since its 2017 debut, Game Pass has quickly become Xbox‘s trump card and synonymous with the brand. When many thought that PlayStation would dominate the market again, Microsoft showed off a subscription success story instead. It was Netflix-for-games done right: low monthly fee, hundreds of playable titles, and day-one releases for AAA games.
Fast-forward to October 2025, and that once-beloved service now feels like it’s been completely gutted beyond recognition. In just a few swift moves, Xbox basically killed all the goodwill Game Pass has built up overnight. And here are the exact five steps they took to ruin what was a beloved subscription service.
Step 1: Rename Game Pass Tiers To Hide The Tighter Restrictions
The first thing Xbox did was announce it had renamed the entire Game Pass lineup — again. What used to be Core, Standard, and Ultimate is now called Essential, Premium, and Ultimate. At a glance, it does sound like an upgrade. But don’t be fooled, as in practice, it all hides how much tighter each tier has become.
If we compare the current Game Pass offering with what was preserved by Wayback Machine, that becomes obvious. Game Pass Core did offer around 30 rotating console games, and its successor, Essential, advertises ’50+.’ However, the Standard plan, which previously included about 300 games across console and PC, with limited day-one access, has now been gutted.
Its replacement, Premium, only lists ‘200+ games’ and drops day-one releases entirely. You have to subscribe to Ultimate for the complete library and day-one access — now at $29.99 a month.
| Old Tier | Library Size | New Tier | Library Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | 30+ games | Essential | 50+ games |
| Standard | 300+ games | Premium | 200+ games |
| Ultimate | 400+ games | Ultimate | 500+ games |
It’s clear that Xbox wants Essential and Premium subscribers to upgrade to the highest tier. The lower plans keep losing key games and perks, leaving Ultimate as the only ‘real’ option. Even the addition of Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew felt more like filler to justify the new price tag.
“We didnt ask for Fortnite subscription, we didnt ask for old Ubisoft games that are constantly on sale anyway,” commented @lockettlv on the YouTube video announcement.
Step 2: Increase the Subscription Price, Again
This one is the oldest trick in the book, but still hurts all the same. After reshuffling the tiers, Xbox made the next obvious move: raise the price again. The Game Pass Ultimate subscription cost has now been raised by 50%, as mentioned above. The others, too, are being increased by more than 30%, including PC Game Pass.
- Ultimate:
$19.99$29.99. - PC Game Pass:
$11.99$16.49. - Standard > Premium:
$14.99$19.99. - Core > Essential:
$9.99$12.99.
These price hikes may not sound that huge at first glance. But stacked over a year, Ultimate subscribers are basically paying about $120 more annually without new major perks. That’s roughly the cost of 30 Big Macs or two-and-a-half full-priced $80 games that can be taken down any time.
Step 3: Replace DLC Discounts with Xbox Rewards Points
If raising prices wasn’t enough, Xbox also took away one of Game Pass Ultimate’s most convenient perks: the 10% discount on DLCs.
Thanks to the discounts, players used to save money on things like Call of Duty Points, BlackCell Passes, and expansion packs. That small but steady benefit quietly vanished in October, completely replaced by Xbox Rewards Points. What really caught the community off guard was how the news was just tucked in one of its official FAQ pages.
Before Xbox players heard about this, CharlieIntel first discovered the add-on discount removal. Then, speaking with Kotaku, an Xbox representative confirmed that Ultimate and Premium subscribers earn ‘10% and 5% in points’ when purchasing ‘select games and add-ons.’
In other words, what used to be a convenient instant discount is now a delayed rebate. One that requires grinding, waiting, and can expire at that. That’s not all, as Xbox Rewards still isn’t available in some major regions, including Turkey and much of the Middle East. Finland, Estonia, and other Baltic countries also suffer from poor exchange rates when converting Xbox Rewards points. This is basically the PlayStation Network account debacle all over again.
Step 4: Cap the Rewards Points Earning Anyway
It gets better, though, since the Xbox Rewards itself didn’t escape the cuts. Starting in October, Xbox quietly limits how many Rewards Points Game Pass users can collect each year. For Ultimate subscribers, the ceiling is $100 worth of Rewards, while lower tiers can hold even less. Much less:
- Member: $20 cap.
- Essential: $25 cap.
- Premium: $50 cap.
- Ultimate: $100 cap.
As you can guess — yes, the program used to have no cap at all. Dedicated Xbox users who regularly completed achievements and daily tasks could stack enough points to redeem gift cards or even extend their subscriptions for free. Now, once you hit the limit, every extra hour of play earns you nothing.
Step 5: Don’t Let Subscribers Use Rewards Points to Redeem Game Pass
And the last change might just be the final nail in the coffin.
For years, savvy players used Rewards Points to extend their subscriptions essentially for free. But now, Xbox has completely removed that workaround, ending one of the most player-friendly systems the company ever built, accidentally or not. For many, though, this isn’t a minor convenience but a huge reason why they don’t mind joining the Game Pass ecosystem. We own nothing? Sure, but we will still happily play the games.
With that option gone, there are no more ways to skirt around the rising gaming costs. Either from games that keep getting expensive or the Game Pass price hike itself. This change also sends a message. Microsoft clearly wants every renewal to come directly from your wallet, and Game Pass isn’t meant to be ‘gamed.’
Individually, each of these changes already stings. But to make things worse, they are rolled out together in less than a week — all of this was announced and implemented in early October. Game Pass used to be a no-brainer, but many of Xbox’s biggest proponents are now turning their heads elsewhere.
“Just cancelled my sub. Microsoft is delusional,” decried ZenseiOG on Reddit, garnering 2,300 upvotes and several awards.
“You guys are absolutely insane. $800 Series X. $80 games. $30 per month subscription,” @Benefits wrote, frustrated. “And you still lay off almost 10,000 employees. I’m done supporting this.”
