Microsoft delays the price increases from the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for certain existing subscribers in certain countries. After announcing a 50 % increase in the price of the Game Pass Ultimate last week, Microsoft now claims that this price increase will currently affect new purchases and not existing subscribers in markets such as Austria, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Korea, Poland and India.
“For the moment, these increases will only affect new purchases and will not affect your current subscription for the market in which you live, as long as you benefit from an auto-recurrent package,” explains Microsoft in an email sent overnight to certain Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. “If you choose to cancel your package and buy back, you will be billed at the new price in force.”
Edge Check that the email is authentic and comes from Microsoft.
The change in these countries is probably linked to local regulations on subscription price changes, and this means that in Ireland, existing subscribers with the activated automatic renewal will always be invoiced at the monthly rate of € 17.99, instead of the new price of € 26.99. Microsoft notes in his email that existing subscribers on these markets will be informed “at least 60 days in advance” of price changes, which means that the modifications will only come into force at least two additional months.
Stopping price increases on certain markets is a change compared to what Microsoft announced last week. “This updated pricing will come into force on October 1 for new subscribers, then during the next billing cycle, probably on November 4, for current subscribers,” said Dustin Blackwell, director of communications for games and platforms at Microsoft, during a briefing with Edge Last week.
The price increases, however, still seem to be in force for existing subscribers in the United Kingdom and the United States. I contacted Microsoft to comment on price increase changes, and we will keep you posted accordingly.
