Microsoft quietly removed one of Game Pass’s best perks this week. Members no longer get instant discounts on game add-ons and expansions.
Instead, you’ll earn points back through the Microsoft Rewards program. Ultimate subscribers get 10 percent back. Premium members receive 5 percent. But there’s a catch that makes this change worse than it sounds.
This follows Microsoft’s recent $10 price hike that pushed Ultimate to $30 monthly. So members are paying more while getting less immediate value from their subscription.
What Changed for Game Pass Members
Microsoft confirmed the shift affects all games and DLC purchases, not just specific titles. The change appeared first with Call of Duty content, then spread across the entire Game Pass library.
Previously, members got instant 10 percent discounts on DLC for games in the catalog. That meant immediate savings when buying expansions or season passes. You saw the reduced price right at checkout.
Now you pay full price upfront. Then Microsoft credits your Rewards account with points worth 10 percent (Ultimate) or 5 percent (Premium) of your purchase. Those points work like store credit for future Microsoft purchases.
Here’s why this matters. Instant discounts provided real savings you could use immediately. Rewards points force you back into Microsoft’s ecosystem. Plus, you need to accumulate enough points before they provide actual value.
Think about buying a $30 expansion. Before, you paid $27 with your discount. Now you pay $30 and get 3,000 Rewards points back. Those points can’t pay bills. They only work within Microsoft’s store.
The Math Gets Worse
Premium members took the biggest hit. They now receive half the benefit of Ultimate subscribers.
Let’s run some numbers. Say you buy $100 worth of DLC annually. As an Ultimate member, you previously saved $10 instantly. Now you get 10,000 Rewards points worth roughly $10 in Microsoft credit.
Premium members went from $10 instant savings to 5,000 points worth about $5 in credit. So they effectively lost half their DLC discount benefit while subscription prices increased.
Moreover, Rewards points come with restrictions. They expire if unused. They can’t always apply to every purchase. And they require minimum thresholds before redemption in some cases.
Microsoft positions this as providing “unmatched value.” But replacing instant discounts with delayed store credit feels more like shifting value away from subscribers.
Why This Change Hurts
Game Pass initially won fans by bundling multiple benefits. Access to hundreds of games. Day-one releases for first-party titles. Discounts on DLC purchases. Deals on full game purchases.
Slowly, Microsoft has chipped away at those extras. Prices increased. Now immediate discounts disappeared. The value proposition keeps shrinking even as costs rise.
Call of Duty fans noticed first. With Black Ops 6 arriving on Game Pass, many members planned to buy the season pass. They expected their usual 10 percent discount. Instead, they faced full price with points credited later.
This matters especially for annual franchises like Call of Duty, FIFA, or Madden. Players routinely buy season passes and premium editions. Those purchases add up quickly. Losing instant discounts means spending more upfront, even if some value returns eventually as points.
The timing feels deliberate too. Microsoft announced this alongside news that 45 more games join Game Pass. So the library grows while per-game benefits shrink. More quantity, less quality in the overall package.
What Members Should Do
If you’re already subscribed, review your purchasing habits. Calculate whether the Rewards points provide enough value given your typical DLC spending.
For heavy DLC buyers, the loss of instant discounts might push total Game Pass costs higher. You’re paying $30 monthly for Ultimate plus full price for expansions. That adds up fast compared to just buying games outright on sale.
Consider grabbing prepaid Game Pass codes at the old rates before they disappear. Retailers still sell them at previous pricing. You can stack up to 36 months of subscription time. That locks in lower rates and might preserve some benefits before further changes arrive.
Alternatively, evaluate whether Game Pass still makes sense for your gaming habits. With rising prices and declining perks, buying games during sales might cost less annually. Especially if you primarily play a few specific titles rather than sampling the full catalog.
Microsoft keeps insisting these changes deliver “unmatched value.” But members keep losing tangible benefits. At some point, the math stops working in subscribers’ favor.
The company clearly bets most members won’t calculate the real cost difference. They’re counting on the psychological impact of a large game library to outweigh these incremental benefit losses. Whether that gamble pays off depends on how much members actually value instant discounts over delayed store credit.
