Microsoft confirms some Xbox Game Pass subs are exempt from price hike

by

Microsoft is temporarily stopping price increases for some existing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in certain regions. New members will pay higher prices beginning October 1st, but current subscribers in a few countries won’t see a change to their rates right away.

On October 7th, Microsoft announced price increases in emails to customers. These changes will only apply to new purchases and won’t affect existing subscriptions with automatic renewals. If you cancel your subscription and then sign up again, you will be charged the new, higher price.

Not every country will see the price increase immediately

I was really disappointed to hear that the rollout of this new feature is delayed in a bunch of places, including Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Poland, and India. Apparently, Microsoft told The Verge it’s because of some specific rules each of those countries has about how subscription prices work. It’s a bit frustrating, but hopefully they can sort it out soon!

Kari Perez, head of Xbox communications, confirmed that the recent Game Pass update isn’t changing. People who currently have a Game Pass subscription in certain countries will continue to renew at their current rate, as required by local laws. Xbox will let subscribers know ahead of time if prices ever change in those areas.

We’ll give current customers in these areas at least 60 days’ notice before making any changes. For instance, customers in Ireland who have automatic renewals turned on will continue to be charged €17.99 per month, rather than the new price of €26.99, until we let them know otherwise.

Microsoft recently announced it would change prices for its subscriptions worldwide starting in early November. However, prices will remain the same for customers in the US and UK. Customers in other affected countries will keep their current prices for now.

Read More

2025-10-07 22:48