The big Game Pass price hike announced last week took an unexpected twist today as Microsoft has confirmed that subscribers "in certain countries" won't actually have to pay the higher rate, at least for now.
The issue first came to light on Reddit, where some users claimed to have received emails stating that their existing Game Pass subscription would not be impacted by the price change as long as they were on a recurring plan—that is, one that re-subscribes automatically. Others, however, said they received an email stating explicitly that their subscription rates are going up.
It seemed like it might be some kind of EU regulation keeping Microsoft in check, except some users reporting the rate goes up email were in European countries, while the rate stays the same email was reportedly being received by people in countries including India and Korea. It was all very confusing, but the emails were legitimate, as Microsoft confirmed in a statement provided to PC Gamer.
"Our recent Game Pass update remains unchanged," a Microsoft spokesperson said. "Current subscribers in certain countries will continue renewing at their existing price for now, in line with local requirements. We’ll provide advance notice before price adjustments take effect in these countries."
This isn't the only point of confusion to come up since the Game Pass price hike was announced. Microsoft told Polygon last week that people still on the old Game Pass for Console plan, which was phased out in 2024 but had a grandfather clause for existing subscribers, will be allowed to keep cruising as they are as long as they keep up automatic renewal payments and don't let their subscriptions lapse. GameStop, meanwhile, just blew the whole thing off, saying it will continue to offer Game Pass Ultimate at $19.99, in-store and online, regardless of what Microsoft does.
It's almost certain that the Game Pass price hike in these countries will take effect eventually, but even if that happens immediately after the 60-day minimum promised to subscribers in the email, that's still triple the window they originally had: The price increase was announced on October 1 and was slated to go into effect on November 4.
It is also, I must point out, a testament to the power of effective regulation: Pierre Trudeau, Canada's 15th Prime Minister, famously once said "there's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation," and fair enough—but at the same time, a little judicious application of rules can go a long way, particularly when it comes to reining in the naked avarice of the world's biggest corporations.
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