Microsoft confirmed to Kotaku that the disappearing 10 percent discount on Call of Duty add-ons is part of a sweeping change affecting all games and DLC across Xbox Game Pass. Instead of receiving immediate discounts at checkout, Ultimate subscribers now earn 10 percent back in Xbox Rewards points when buying qualifying content from the Game Pass library. The change wasn’t mentioned in Microsoft’s official announcement about the 50 percent Game Pass price hike, leaving subscribers to discover the downgrade on their own.
Microsoft’s Full Statement
The statement Microsoft provided to multiple outlets clarified the scope beyond just Call of Duty. This is not specific to any one game and reflects all games and DLC purchases, a spokesperson explained. Instead of a discount on the purchases, Ultimate and Premium subscribers will earn 10 percent and 5 percent, respectively, in points when purchasing select games and add-ons from the Game Pass library.
The statement emphasized that Ultimate members continue to have 20 percent discount on select games from the Game Pass library, attempting to frame the change as part of an upgraded Rewards program. All Rewards members will earn points when shopping games and add-ons on the Store, while Premium and Ultimate subscribers will earn even more, 2x and 4x respectively. That phrasing obscures the fundamental downgrade from instant discounts to delayed store credit earned through a loyalty program.
How the Old System Worked
Previously, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers received a straightforward 10 percent discount on DLC purchases at checkout. If a Call of Duty BlackCell bundle cost 30 dollars, subscribers paid 27 dollars immediately. The discount applied across nearly all DLC for games in the Game Pass library, from individual story expansions to cosmetic packs to premium currency like COD Points. The system was transparent and provided instant value that reduced the upfront cost of purchases.
EA Play titles maintained their own 10 percent discount separate from the Game Pass benefit, meaning subscribers effectively stacked discounts when buying EA content. That perk remains unchanged, creating an odd situation where EA-published DLC gets better treatment than Microsoft’s own first-party content. The inconsistency highlights how the new system prioritizes pushing users toward the Rewards program rather than providing clear universal benefits.
What the New System Does
Under the revised structure, Ultimate subscribers pay full price for DLC at purchase but earn 10 percent of the amount back as Xbox Rewards points. Those points accumulate in accounts and can eventually be redeemed for store credit, gift cards, or sweepstakes entries. Premium subscribers earn 5 percent back, while lower tiers get no DLC benefits at all. The critical difference is timing. Players now must float the full cost upfront and wait to reclaim value later through points redemption.
The math shows why this matters. A player spending 100 dollars on Call of Duty content throughout Black Ops 7’s lifecycle previously saved 10 dollars through instant discounts. Now they pay the full 100 dollars and eventually earn 10 dollars in Rewards points assuming they remember to redeem them before Microsoft changes the program again. Time value of money makes immediate discounts objectively more valuable than delayed points, especially for customers on budgets who can’t afford to front extra cash.
The Stealth Nerf Pattern
This marks the second major undisclosed change to Game Pass following the price restructuring announcement. Microsoft also failed to mention PC Game Pass jumping from 12 dollars to 16.49 dollars monthly in the official blog post, forcing PC subscribers to discover the increase independently. The pattern of quietly removing benefits while loudly promoting new features creates trust issues with the subscriber base who feel they’re getting nickel-and-dimed at every turn.
Xbox Rewards itself has been steadily devalued over the past year. Microsoft capped monthly point earnings at lower Game Pass tiers and removed the option to convert points into additional Game Pass months at favorable rates. These cumulative changes gut the Rewards program’s value proposition just as Microsoft forces subscribers to rely on it more heavily for DLC purchases. One Reddit user called it the nail in the coffin, noting you simply can’t earn enough in a month to pay for a month after this change.
Call of Duty’s Role in the Changes
While the discount removal affects all games, Call of Duty represents the highest-profile casualty given its monetization-heavy business model. The franchise generates billions annually through microtransactions including battle passes, weapon blueprints, operator skins, and COD Points used to purchase limited-time bundles. Dedicated players routinely spend hundreds of dollars beyond the base game across a title’s annual lifecycle, meaning that 10 percent discount added up to real savings.
The timing directly precedes Call of Duty Black Ops 7’s November 2025 launch, maximizing Microsoft’s window to extract full-price microtransaction revenue before the community fully understands the change. Combined with Bloomberg’s report that Black Ops 6 lost Microsoft over 300 million dollars in sales by including it on Game Pass, the picture becomes clear. Microsoft is desperately trying to recapture lost Call of Duty revenue through every available lever including removing subscriber benefits and raising prices.
EA Play as the Outlier
The fact that EA Play DLC maintains its 10 percent discount creates a bizarre hierarchy where Electronic Arts content receives better treatment than Microsoft’s own first-party games. Battlefield add-ons, FIFA Ultimate Team packs, and Madden bundles all still provide instant discounts for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Only non-EA content got demoted to the points-back system, suggesting Microsoft’s partnership agreement with EA includes terms protecting those discounts.
This inconsistency makes the Rewards program transition look even worse. If Microsoft wanted to genuinely upgrade the system, why exclude EA content? The real answer is they couldn’t unilaterally change EA’s benefits without renegotiating contracts, so they downgraded everything else instead. Players now face the absurd situation where buying EA DLC makes more financial sense than purchasing Microsoft’s own Call of Duty content despite Microsoft owning Activision.
The Communications Failure
Microsoft’s decision not to disclose the DLC discount removal in the official Game Pass restructuring announcement represents a significant communications failure. The blog post touted new benefits including 75 day-one games annually and the upgraded Rewards program without mentioning that upgrading meant removing direct discounts. Subscribers discovered the change organically when Call of Duty add-ons showed full prices instead of the expected 10 percent reduction.
Transparent communication would have acknowledged both additions and subtractions to the service. Burying downgrades while promoting upgrades erodes trust and fuels conspiracy theories that Microsoft intentionally hid negative changes to minimize subscriber backlash before the announcement window closed. Whether through oversight or strategy, the execution damaged Xbox’s reputation at a time when the brand desperately needs goodwill following years of studio closures, game cancellations, and multiplatform pivots.
What This Means for Subscribers
For casual Game Pass users who rarely buy DLC, this change barely registers. For dedicated players who regularly purchase expansions, season passes, and premium currency, the switch from instant discounts to delayed points represents a meaningful value reduction. The exact impact depends on spending habits and whether players actually redeem accumulated Rewards points before Microsoft adjusts redemption rates or program rules again.
Combined with the 50 percent Ultimate price increase to 30 dollars monthly, Game Pass is testing how much value erosion the market will tolerate. Microsoft clearly believes the combination of Call of Duty day-one access plus 400 games justifies higher prices and fewer benefits. Subscriber retention metrics over the next six months will determine whether that calculation was correct or if the company pushed too far too fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Microsoft remove Call of Duty discounts for Game Pass?
Yes, but not just Call of Duty. Microsoft removed the 10 percent instant discount on all DLC purchases for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, replacing it with 10 percent back in Xbox Rewards points. Premium subscribers get 5 percent back.
When did the Game Pass DLC discount change happen?
The change took effect alongside the broader Game Pass restructuring announced October 1, 2025. Microsoft did not mention the DLC discount removal in the official announcement, leaving subscribers to discover it independently.
Do EA Play games still get discounts?
Yes, EA Play titles maintain their separate 10 percent discount on DLC for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Only non-EA content switched to the Rewards points system.
How do Xbox Rewards points work?
Ultimate subscribers now earn 10 percent of DLC purchase amounts back as Rewards points. Points accumulate in accounts and can be redeemed for store credit, gift cards, or sweepstakes entries through the Xbox Rewards program.
Is earning points back better than getting a discount?
No, instant discounts are objectively more valuable than delayed points. With discounts, subscribers paid less upfront. With points, they pay full price and must wait to reclaim value later through redemption.
Can I still get 20 percent off games with Game Pass?
Yes, Ultimate subscribers still receive 20 percent discounts on select full games from the Game Pass library. The change only affects DLC and add-on content, not complete game purchases.
Why didn’t Microsoft announce this change?
Microsoft did not publicly explain why the DLC discount removal wasn’t mentioned in the official restructuring announcement. The omission created backlash as subscribers discovered the downgrade independently when making purchases.
Conclusion
Microsoft’s clarification that all DLC discounts were replaced with Rewards points, not just Call of Duty, shows the scope of value erosion hitting Game Pass subscribers. Combined with the 50 percent Ultimate price increase and other undisclosed changes like higher PC pricing, the service is testing subscriber tolerance for degraded benefits at premium costs. Whether framing delayed points as an upgraded Rewards program convinces customers remains to be seen, but the immediate reaction suggests Microsoft badly miscalculated how transparently communicating these changes might have softened the blow. For now, Game Pass subscribers face higher prices, fewer instant benefits, and growing uncertainty about what other downgrades might emerge quietly in future updates.