In a move that some users have loosely branded ‘anti-consumer’, Xbox appears to have removed the years-old Xbox Game Pass $1 promotional deal from all its platforms on a global scale. It isn’t known if this is a permanent move or a temporary change, but for the time being, it brings an end to a deal that saw new users secure a month of Xbox Game Pass for just $1.
However, there’s still the sneaky (but not frowned-upon) trick that many users have taken advantage of for years now, whereupon they purchase Xbox Live Gold (which is cheaper), then sign up for Game Pass Ultimate, which essentially ‘upgrades’ the outstanding duration of their Xbox Live Gold membership, converting it to Game Pass Ultimate.
No More Xbox Game Pass $1 Deal, Then?
It was a fantastic thing, signing up for an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription on the eve of a brand-new game being released and paying just $1 for it. Then, you play and complete that game, before cancelling recurring billing and moving on with your life. Hey presto, you’ve just played a day one, top-tier Xbox game for the grand sum of $1.
Originally reported by XGP.pl (and circulated on Twitter by Idle Sloth), the Xbox Game Pass promotional deal – which has existed for years – appears to have disappeared on a global scale. When new users attempt to sign up for a subscription, they’re no longer offered the massively discounted rate for the first month.
Instead, they’re prompted to start paying full price from the word ‘go’.
It could be that Xbox is preparing to recoup on some financials ahead of the Activision Blizzard acquisition – which looks like it will go ahead – or it could be that it’s anticipating a lot of full-price Xbox Game Pass sales with all the stunning titles launching this year on the service, like Starfield and Redfall.
For some, this move was overdue, but for others, it’s a drastic step that may signal a price hike coming in the near future. Whatever happens, it won’t take long before Xbox lifts the lid on why it made this ‘shadow change’.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the rumours regarding COD 2023’s Zombies mode.
