Game Pass Subscribers in Select Markets Won’t Be Impacted By Latest Price Hikes

Microsoft made headlines last week when it raised the price of its Game Pass service, with the Ultimate tier getting a 50% price increase to $29.99/month in the US. Well, it turns out that existing subscribers in select markets won’t be impacted and will be able to keep their current pricing if they have auto-renew enabled.

The company has started sending the following email to current Game Pass subscribers in European countries including Austria, Germany, Ireland, and Poland, as well as Israel, Korea, and India (via The Verge). It explains that Game Pass members will only be charged more if they cancel their current subscription and decide to resubscribe later.

“Recently, you may have heard about changes to the price of Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. At this time, these increases will only affect new purchases and will not affect your current subscription for the market in which you reside, as long as you are on an auto-recurring plan. Should you choose to cancel your plan and repurchase, you will be charged at the new current rate. If for any reason there may be changes to your existing account, we will notify you at least 60 days in advance and you will have the option to cancel or change your subscription plan at any time,” the company explained in the email.

Microsoft didn’t clarify if this change will only apply to select markets where Game Pass is available. However, the company may need to adjust with consumer protection laws in the EU and other countries. In my case, I’m in the EU and I’m subscribed to Game Pass until January 2027, but I didn’t receive this email. The Microsoft website tells me I’ll need to pay the new €26.99/month price instead of the previous €17.99 if I want to keep my subscription active after January 2027, and I guess that’s because I had turned off auto-renew for it.

The latest Game Pass price increases went live on October 1 for new subscribers, and they will apply to existing subscribers on their next billing cycle. While Game Pass Ultimate may no longer be the best deal in gaming at $360 per year, Microsoft did add Ubisoft+ Classics, a new Fortnite Crew perk, and 1440p streaming for select cloud-enabled titles to the mix.