Microsoft just pulled off a masterclass in Stockholm syndrome. Following the October 1 price hike that sent Xbox Game Pass Ultimate soaring from $19.99 to $29.99 monthly, the company quietly revealed a way to avoid the increase: stay subscribed and don’t cancel. Ever.
As this Redditor shares, the company has started sending out messages confirming that existing subscribers won’t face the new pricing as long as they maintain auto-renewal. The moment you cancel and try to rejoin? Welcome to the $30 club:
The message reads like a gentle reminder but carries the weight of an ultimatum. Microsoft promises 60 days’ notice before any account changes, which sounds generous until you realize they’re basically trying to say “we own you now, but we’ll warn you before tightening the leash.”
Microsoft’s Blackmail Disguised as Loyalty Rewards
This isn’t new behavior for the tech conglomerate either. As one commenter points out:
So Microsoft has been running this playbook for years with Office subscriptions. Long-term subscribers get grandfather pricing while new customers pay full freight, creating this bizarre pricing structure where canceling becomes financial self-sabotage—regardless of your actual satisfaction with the service.
Another comment cut straight through the marketing speak:
That is the uncomfortable truth hiding behind the corporate politeness. You’re not being rewarded for loyalty so much as penalized for daring to leave.
Planning to pause your subscription for a month? That’ll cost you $10 extra monthly when you return. Thinking about shopping around? Better not, unless you enjoy paying 50% more for the “privilege.”
Why This Corporate Hostage Situation Won’t End Well for Xbox
The entire situation reeks of what another commenter called “very polite blackmail.” Because that’s exactly what this is. Microsoft isn’t offering a generous grandfather clause out of goodwill. They’re creating a gilded cage where the door stays open as long as you never actually try to leave.
The community’s response speaks volumes about how this landed. Microsoft’s cancellation page crashed within hours of the announcement from the sheer volume of angry subscribers voting with their wallets. Google searches for “cancel Xbox Game Pass” hit all-time highs, spiking from single-digit average searches daily to over 100 on October 1 alone (via Google Trends).
People aren’t buying the “more value” pitch when that value costs 50% more monthly. Adding Ubisoft+ Classics and Fortnite Crew doesn’t justify doubling someone’s annual subscription cost from $240 to $360.
That’s the real play here. If enough people accept the price hike and stay subscribed out of fear, Xbox has zero incentive to walk anything back. The company is banking on subscriber inertia and the psychological cost of “losing” a discount.
Do you think staying subscribed is worth avoiding the price hike, or is this Microsoft’s way of trapping customers? Will you cancel on principle or accept the corporate hostage situation? Let us know in the comments!
