Earlier in 2023, Microsoft confirmed that the long-stayed $1 Xbox Game Pass deal would be no more. After many players being grandfathered into the service through the promotion, newcomers would instead have to pay the base rate. In anticipation for what was to come, it appeared Microsoft went with the decision in the later price changes for its service revealed in June.

Additionally, the service is also underway with reshaping itself. In that, Xbox Game Pass is to receive a new ‘Core’ tier which integrates Xbox Live Gold members. For the $59.99 a year, users can find two dozen titles available when it goes live in September. Recently, Microsoft did re-launch the $1 deal that many were saddened to see, but it has be altered this week.

In a new discovery from @Wario64, the $1 Xbox Game Pass deal is still the same price, but only offers 14 days rather than the full month. Essentially being reduced to a trial for users for the first half of a month before the required $14.99 a month – speaking for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate that is.

This comes at an even larger surprise now considering the recent report on the total Xbox Game Pass populace. It was revealed that roughly 80 percent of users subscribed to Xbox Game Pass are Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users. On the surface currently, it is unsure how much that will be affected from the decision. But, it is assumed the change was made looking ahead for Starfield’s launch which is now less than a month away.

Elsewhere this year, amid the original height of the $1 Xbox Game Pass bargain, Microsoft reported being in the green when it comes to the platform service. In that, it was told that Xbox Game Pass cumulatively grossed more than $1 billion in Fy23 Q3 then. You can read the full report by heading here.

What is has you most surprised by the decision from Microsoft?