Microsoft closes loophole that let you save big on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Microsoft closed a loophole that let you get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for a lower price than normal. Until recently, you could redeem one year of EA Play for four months of Xbox Game Pass. A year of EA Play usually costs $30, so getting four months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs $60, was a good deal.

Now, as highlighted by Twisted Voxel, redeeming one year of EA Play only gets you two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Those are essentially identical in value, so it makes sense that Microsoft made the switch, but it's unfortunate for people trying to save money.

An Xbox support page now reads:

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can redeem EA Play codes for the Xbox console, but they will automatically convert and extend their Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. One month of EA Play will extend an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription by 10 days, and a one-year EA Play code will extend an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription by 2 months.

There are still some other ways to get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for less than its usual price. If you're a new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, a current promotion lowers the cost of the first three months of the service to $1.