Some European Xbox Game Pass users will not see a price increase

In some countries of Europe so that price changes would only affect some of them.

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Although the price increase of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass is already being applied in most regions of the world, several European users have received an email from Microsoft indicating that they will not be affected by the increase. The message, shared by numerous subscribers on social media and forums like Reddit, states that the price hike “will only affect new purchases” and that current subscriptions will not be modified as long as they remain active.

So far, reports are coming mainly from Austria and Germany, although some players claim to have received the same notice in other areas of Europe and even in India. Microsoft has not published an official list of countries where current rates will be maintained. In Spain, people have received emails in recent days.

Xbox Game Pass maintains its price for some European users

The message, sent from the official Xbox address, includes the following text:

You may have heard about the changes in Xbox Game Pass subscription prices. At this time, these increases will only apply to new purchases and will not affect your current subscription in your region, as long as you have an active recurring plan.

If you decide to cancel your plan and resubscribe, the new rate will be applied. In case of changes to your account, we will inform you with at least 60 days’ notice.

Everything suggests that this exception could be related to European consumer protection laws, which require companies to notify of contractual changes in advance and offer the possibility of maintaining previous conditions while automatic renewal lasts. However, the measure does not seem to apply to all countries on the continent, and regions like the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, or Australia will see the full price increase reflected.

• As we told you last weekend, for now, the most sensible thing to do is not to cancel the active subscription if you want to maintain the previous price, since resubscribing will apply the new rate. Microsoft has not made additional statements, although everything indicates that the general price adjustment will continue as planned for November, except in regions protected by local exceptions.

Confirmed by The Verge

Microsoft has confirmed to The Verge that the email is authentic and does not affect US or UK subscribers. “Our recent Game Pass update remains unchanged. Current subscribers in certain countries will continue to renew at their current price for now, according to local requirements. We will notify in advance before price adjustments take effect in these countries,” says Kari Perez, Xbox communications director, in a statement to The Verge.

The lack of clear communication from Microsoft has generated some confusion, especially with different renewal prices within the Xbox ecosystem itself. Some users have even speculated about the possibility that the email was fraudulent, although the address used matches the official ones the company uses for legitimate notifications.