A pop-up is telling people that Microsoft Rewards points will no longer be able to be directly redeemed for Xbox Game Pass subscription time.
It appears that starting on October 1st, 2025, the only way to use Microsoft Rewards points for Game Pass is to redeem a digital gift card code. Here is the text that pops up when you go to redeem any Xbox Game Pass time in the service right now:
[Important update] Changes to Rewards Catalog
Starting October 1st, you will no longer be able to directly redeem your Rewards points for Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. To continue enjoying Xbox Game Pass using your Rewards points, you will need to first redeem your Rewards points for an Xbox gift card and then redeem your Xbox gift card for your desired Game Pass subscription, as follows:
Step 1: Visit the Microsoft Rewards catalog.
Step 2: Redeem your Rewards points for an Xbox gift card in a denomination that is sufficient to cover the cost of your desired Game Pass subscription. If you do not have enough Rewards points for the desired Xbox gift card denomination, you may use an alternative payment method to cover the rest.
Step 3: Use your Microsoft Account balance from your redeemed Xbox gift card to purchase your desired Game Pass subscription. If your Microsoft Account balance is insufficient to cover your desired Game Pass subscription, you may use an alternative payment method to cover the rest. When your Game Pass subscription expires, you can buy another Game Pass subscription by either (i) repeating Steps 1-3, above; or (ii) using an alternative payment method to purchase a Game Pass subscription.
Here is a screenshot of the pop-up itself:
It’s a change that comes as some surprise to the community, and judging by the reaction I’m seeing online – it’s an unwelcome one.
How do you feel about this change? Are you angry about it? Let us know in the XboxEra Forums or our lively Community Discord.
