'This Deal is Getting Worse All the Time': Xbox Fans Upset at Latest Microsoft Rewards Nerf, With Points No Longer Directly Redeemable for Game Pass Subscriptions

Xbox fans are upset astatine the latest alteration to Microsoft Rewards, which removes the quality to straight redeem points for Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.

This isn't the archetypal clip that Microsoft has made changes to its reward strategy that person been perceived arsenic making it little lucrative for hardcore fans, but the company's latest update — unrecorded arsenic of today, October 1 — has near galore Xbox Game Pass users facing the world that they volition nary longer beryllium capable to subsidise their subscription.

"Starting October 1, users volition nary longer beryllium capable to straight redeem Reward points for Xbox Game Pass subscriptions," the institution wrote successful an update to users. "Users volition request to redeem points for Xbox acquisition cards to screen the outgo of a Game Pass subscription."

Requiring users to redeem an Xbox acquisition paper for Xbox Game Pass adds an other measurement and besides raises the constituent threshold astatine which a period of Game Pass Ultimate tin beryllium unlocked — abruptly making it much hard for users to regularly swap points for other months connected their subscription.

"So it begins," wrote Xbox instrumentality GTAJJ_. "I fishy that the nonaccomplishment starring signifier is coming to a adjacent and consumers volition request to commencement paying accurately. This volition beryllium an absorbing litmus trial to however galore Gamepass subscribers are 'organic' and not retired of bully deals. It volition trial the work to spot if consumers inactive privation to enrol."

"Welp," added Solh0und. "RIP to gaming reward programs. First the golden coins get nerfed from Nintendo, past the PS Stars programme gets scrapped, present this."

Another effect with hundreds of likes simply features the gif of Lando successful Empire Strikes Back, and the infamous line: "This woody is getting worse each the time."

While Microsoft Rewards itself is not ending, today's alteration has intelligibly struck a chord with users who person reguarly taken vantage of the strategy to support their Xbox Game Pass subscription ticking implicit for years.

One instrumentality posted an representation of their subscription presumption — renewed until July adjacent twelvemonth — having lone paid their introductory $1 backmost successful September 2020. (Microsoft's introductory $1 connection has besides agelong since been nerfed.) "Well looks similar my $ tally for Game Pass has travel to an end," added different user, Jerikko. "It was bully run."

Today's quality comes conscionable days aft Microsoft's latest Xbox console terms hike successful the U.S., which accrued the terms of the Xbox Series S and X erstwhile for the 2nd clip this year. Microsoft has, truthful far, resisted the impulse to summation Xbox Game Pass subscription prices again, though earning amended margins connected its bundle has intelligibly been discussed — arsenic seen successful the company's now-paused determination to commencement charging $80 for its games.

This summer, Microsoft's gaming part was deed hard by layoffs arsenic portion of a company-wide simplification successful headcount. Perfect Dark and Everwild were canned, developer The Initiative was unopen down, and respective third-party projects had their backing pulled, successful a bid to chopped costs and amended margins.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social