Microsoft Rewards Ends Xbox Game Pass Redemptions After Today

Today marks the final opportunity for Xbox fans to redeem their Microsoft Rewards points directly for Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. Beginning October 1, 2025, the long-standing option of trading points for Game Pass will officially be discontinued.

This change, quietly announced by Microsoft and brought to wider attention through Wario64, has stirred frustration across the Xbox community.

For years, Microsoft Rewards has served as a loyalty system, letting users earn points through Bing searches, Xbox achievements, and shopping via the Microsoft Store. Redeeming those points directly for Game Pass made it one of the most practical perks. After today, however, the only remaining path to Game Pass through Rewards will be by exchanging points for Xbox gift cards. The issue? That route is far less efficient. Wario64 highlighted that players will now need roughly 6,000 more points to cover the cost of a single month of Game Pass compared to the former direct redemption system.

The backlash has been immediate. On Reddit and gaming forums, users vent about what they see as another example of Microsoft squeezing more from its player base. Many are already calling the new system unfair, noting that it effectively devalues the rewards points they’ve spent years banking up. What once felt like a smart loyalty program now feels, to some, like a bait-and-switch.

This shift also comes at a time when Game Pass itself is under intense scrutiny. While Microsoft continues to invest heavily in the service, former Bethesda executive Pete Hines recently criticized subscription models in general, arguing they don’t always fairly compensate the developers and studios who make the games that fuel them. His comments echo a broader debate: subscription platforms may be great for players, but they can strain the economics for those producing the content.

Meanwhile, frustrated gamers are making their own conclusions. Some vow to abandon Rewards altogether, while others joke about “juking the stats” or finding workarounds to maximize points. Others simply declare fatigue, pointing to what they see as Microsoft’s growing greed and a steady decline in how Xbox gaming is being handled. For players who used to rely on Rewards for their Game Pass fix, September 30, 2025, feels less like a deadline and more like the end of an era.