Gamers Can Earn Up To $100 As Xbox Restructures Game Pass Plans, Raises Price Of Ultimate Tier To $29.99
Users subscribed to 'Core' will be shifted to 'Essential', people using the standard version will be shifted to 'Premium' and 'Ultimate' tier subscribers will retain their subscription.
Microsoft has done away with its initial pricing structure for it game pass plans and launched a new version with three distinct tiers - Essential, Premium, and Ultimate - according to a blog post from the company on Wednesday. It will also be releasing a "rewards" system where users can earn $25-100 a year depending on the subscription tier.
Microsoft also retained and increased the price of its Ultimate tier to $29.99 from $19.99 citing new perks for users.
Xbox's game pass is a monthly subscription service that chiefly gives Xbox users access to Microsoft's games library along with other perks depending on the tier of subscription. Users can download and play games without having to pay for each one.
The old system consisted of 'Core' which had online multiplayer and more than 25 games that could be accessed by users; a standard version with two variants: 'Console' which gave access to more than 100 games for the Xbox console, 'PC' which was the same as Console but for the PC with the added perk of having access to select games on first day of release; and Ultimate which had all the previous features along with cloud gaming and EA play.
Users subscribed to 'Core' will be shifted to 'Essential', people using the standard version will be shifted to 'Premium' and 'Ultimate' tier subscribers will retain their subscription.
The Changes
'Essential' tier users will now have access to more than 50 games in the library, along with cloud based gaming, and online multiplayer, across PC and consoles. There is also a rewards and in-game benefits system for all three tiers with users being able to make up to $25 a year by playing games through its rewards system.
The pricing will vary with the console version being priced at $9.99, and the PC version costing $16.49 per month. Xbox tried to justify the hike by saying that PC users will get access to 50 additional games, according to a report from The Verge.
"Subscribers also get access to in-game benefits in some of the biggest games like League of Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Overwatch 2," Microsoft said.
'Premium' users will gain access to to more than 200 games in the library, along with the same perks from the 'Essential' version and the ability to make $50 a year with its rewards system. It will retain the pricing of the standard version at $14.99 per month.
It also announced in-game benefits for games like League of Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X, instantly unlocking cosmetics, characters, and more. New additions to 'Premium' library include Diablo IV and Hogwarts Legacy.
The 'Ultimate' tier will have the most expanded perks with all the previous features of the other two tiers along with access to 75 day one releases for upcoming games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, High on Life 2, Keeper, Ninja Gaiden 4, and The Outer Worlds 2, along with access to more than 400 games.
As mentioned earlier, the upgraded version will cost $29.99, $10 more than the initial cost of $19.99.
In-game benefits include added and unlocked features and cosmetics for games such as Fortnite, along with a 'Ubisoft+ Classics' feature which offers a free curated selection of the game studio's greatest hits like Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Fortnite players will be able to get a 1,000 V-bucks (in-game currency) every month along with the Battle Pass. Subscribers will also be able to earn up to a $100 in rewards.
