microsoft Rewards is getting a thorough revision in May, and it doesn't seem to be positive for end users. Microsoft Rewards began as Bing Rewards, but was rebranded and later integrated with Xbox Live Rewards in 2016 and 2018, respectively. This product has gone through numerous revisions and changes throughout its life, with more modifications yet to come.
One of the most unpopular changes to the service is Microsoft Rewards increasing the number of points required to redeem Xbox gift cards at the end of February 2025. Because users can earn points simply by interacting with Rewards and completing the tasks on offer, the relative value of redeemable prizes has always been controversial, which has naturally led users to become frustrated with the service.
Microsoft Rewards update adds useful new features
The new changes to Microsoft Rewards introduced in the recent console update could be very beneficial for Xbox gamers who frequently use the service.
Microsoft Rewards is getting a big change coming in May 2026, but early adopters don't like rework.
Although many users believe that Microsoft Rewards has changed for the worse in February 2026, it appears that this is not the last change to come to the service yet. The biggest major change coming in May is an overhaul of membership levels, with three tiers to choose from: Member, Silver, and Gold. The daily savings limits for the new tiers are 15, 30, and 60 points respectively. The rework pop-up promises the ability to “earn up to 7x points with Gold status” as well as more ways to earn points in general. But vague promises of better service may be discarded by early adopters. Microsoft has been testing this revised version of Rewards in New Zealand, Colombia, India, Canada, and several other regions, but it's not looking very good.
According to user reports, Microsoft is currently in the process of rolling out the Rewards update to eligible European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and potentially other countries. It's still too early to tell if this is one of Microsoft's worst Xbox Series X|S era decisions, but the rework appears to be an overall nerf to users' ability to score points. The daily maximum has been reduced from 150 points to 60 points and the maximum 2100 point bonus pool does not appear to start in most cases.
It's important to note that some of the first adopters of the new system, namely those in New Zealand and elsewhere, appear to largely dislike it. All of Microsoft Rewards' top points purchases are very expensive, and the new system appears to have significantly reduced points-earning opportunities overall. It will be difficult for Microsoft to package this as a positive thing.
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It's now clear that Microsoft is undergoing major changes to almost all of its user-facing services. Xbox's approach to exclusives is also being reexamined, according to insiders. The shift back to console-exclusive gaming would be a comprehensive overhaul of the brand's entire modern operation, and suggests even bigger changes could be ahead across Xbox and Microsoft.
