Microsoft is making major changes to its Game Pass Subscription plans but this one in particular has surprised many PC and Xbox players alike.
Microsoft stops its $1 Game Pass Ultimate Trial. Through this deal, new users could subscribe for a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass for just $1 after which they would start charging the regular price. But Microsoft has seemingly ended that deal.
In an official statement to The Verge, Head of Global Communications for Xbox, Kari Perez, confirmed that this deal has now been stopped. Here’s what she had to say:
“We have stopped our previous introductory offer for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass and are evaluating different marketing promotions for new members in the future.”
It’s worth noting that she indeed did say that they are looking at alternate marketing promotions for new users, but no official details have been revealed regarding that. Some have said that the end of this long-running deal is due to Microsoft’s planned Activision-Blizzard merger.
It’s unclear if the change is permanent or temporary as some users have criticized the decision, labeling it as “anti-consumer”. This deal was offered to new users since Game Pass’ launch in 2017 and was considered a great introductory deal so it makes sense why many users might not like this decision.
There have also been rumors about Microsoft introducing Xbox Cloud Gaming on two new platforms, and since that feature is already added to some tiers of the Game Pass subscription, Microsoft could use it to make the overall ecosystem attractive.
We are not sure what Perez meant when she said, “different marketing promotions,” so it’s possible that Microsoft has something entirely different planned for the future. All we can do for now is just wait and see what Microsoft cooks up.
About Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass is a video game subscription service offered by Microsoft. It is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Android and iOS via xCloud.
Xbox Game Pass grants users access to a rotating catalog of games from a range of publishers and other premium services, including Xbox Live Gold and EA Play, for a single monthly subscription price.
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