Xbox Quietly Removes Game Pass Store Discounts — Subscribers Now Get Reward Points Instead
Microsoft has removed the usual Game Pass discounts on many store purchases and replaced them with Rewards points, the company confirmed to IGN. In short: some discounts are gone, and points are now the main perk for purchases.
- How the rewards now work
- Example: COD Points
- Player reaction and cancellations
- What to check on your account
What changed
According to Microsoft, the flat Game Pass discount that applied to many games, DLC, and in-game currency purchases has been removed for subscribers. Instead, Microsoft says subscribers will receive Rewards points for qualifying purchases. The change applies broadly: “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,” Microsoft explained in a statement to IGN. “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.”
How the rewards now work
In practice, Microsoft says Ultimate and Premium subscribers will earn Reward Points instead of getting the previous store discount. Specifically, Ultimate members earn 10% in points and Premium members earn 5% for purchases of select games and add-ons within the Game Pass library. Additionally, Rewards members earn points on Store purchases, with Premium and Ultimate members getting 2x and 4x point multipliers respectively.
Example: COD Points
For example, when buying COD Points, players will receive Rewards points but will not receive a direct discount on the COD Points purchase itself. Moreover, community reporting suggests that Reward Points may no longer be redeemable for free months of Game Pass, so saving points for subscription time might not be possible anymore.
in the points category you were able to save up your points for a three month membership to ultimate, but they have removed that now as well pic.twitter.com/JuomtHHF1a
— OldSkool (@Steven_Styles7) October 3, 2025
Player reaction and cancellations
Between this change and the recent Game Pass price adjustments, many subscribers are unhappy. As a result, a large number of users have been canceling their subscriptions, and the cancellation page briefly crashed due to heavy traffic shortly after the price increase announcement.
What to check on your account
If you’re a subscriber, check the Store price and the Rewards points you’ll earn before buying. Also, review the Game Pass Rewards page for details on how points are awarded and what they can be spent on. Finally, keep an eye on official Microsoft updates in case the programs or redemption options change again.
