In 2024, most services are accessible through subscriptions. To watch your movies and series, play games or work with productivity tools, small amounts accumulate every month until they become a huge burden. Some then look for roundabout ways to pay less, such as account sharing that Netflix and Disney now punish. Microsoft is also seeing abuses concerning the Xbox Game Pass. But the firm says stop.
The company recently took a measure to counter the common practice of some players who seek subscriptions from other countries, where the currency is weaker than in France. In addition to paying a rate that is not suitable for them (in terms of overall living conditions), they accumulate them so that they no longer have to worry about their subscription, avoiding surprise price increases as often happen.
From 36 to 13 months
From now on, Microsoft will apply a restriction on the countries most exploited by this technique. This restriction aims to limit the possibility of extending subscriptions in these countries to a maximum of 13 months, a decision that mainly affects Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan and Turkey. If you use roundabout means to pay your subscription in one of these countries, the measure concerns you. But it also impacts players from all of these regions.
Until now, players could use digital codes or gift cards to extend their Xbox Game Pass subscription to 36 months, giving them coverage without having to pay each month. This decision mainly affects Game Pass Core, Game Pass for Console and PC subscriptions, but does not affect Game Pass Ultimate. Similarly, EA Play subscriptions are also not affected by this restriction, except in Argentina and Turkey, where the limit is also set at 13 months.
A progressive price for everyone
This follows a measure taken several months ago. Microsoft announced that it wanted to adapt the Game Pass price to the exchange rates and purchasing power of each region of the world, thus triggering a wave of price reductions in the poorest countries. Some saw this as an opportunity to make significant savings in the long term. VPN, creation of foreign accounts or even international neobanks, everything has so far been diverted to pay a little less.
This new measure therefore aims to dissuade players located outside these countries from taking advantage of advantageous rates by purchasing subscriptions at a lower cost. This restriction represents a significant change in Microsoft's strategy to prevent abuse of the Xbox Game Pass system and ensure a fair gaming experience for all users.
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