Microsoft Reveals New Xbox Game Pass Quests, But There’s a Catch

Many Xbox gamers now have brand-new Xbox Game Pass Quests as part of a completely reimagined framework to earn Rewards points. However, the reworked Xbox Game Pass Quests are currently only available in Australia and require users to jump through a few hoops to make the most of the new system.

Xbox Rewards falls under the Microsoft Rewards scheme, allowing participants to earn points by performing everyday activities such as searching on Bing and playing Xbox titles. Rewards points can be redeemed for Xbox Gift Cards, in-game currency for titles such as League of Legends and Roblox, or monthly Game Pass subscriptions. Benevolent players can even choose to donate to a wide range of charities, or even try their luck with entries to one of the program’s regular competitions, like Microsoft Rewards’ current $1,000,000 Sweepstakes.

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Microsoft Rewards is constantly being updated, and on November 5 Australian gamers booted up their consoles to find that their Xbox Game Pass Quests were completely redesigned. Players can earn points every day by playing any Game Pass game for at least 15 minutes as part of a “Daily Play” quest. However, the usual daily, weekly, and monthly quests have been reworked into a system that grants bonus points for playing multiple games each month. Playing four unique Game Pass titles nets the player 50 points, while a total of eight different games awards 350 extra points. Gamers can also build up streak bonuses by playing at least five days every week. Earning the weekly bonus in consecutive weeks will net higher point multipliers for the subsequent week, up to a whopping four times bonus.

New Xbox Game Pass Quests Now Available – But Only in Australia

• Daily Play – Play any Game Pass game for at least 15 minutes.
• Monthly 4-Pack – Score points by playing four different Game Pass games for at least 15 minutes each calendar month.
• Monthly 8-Pack – Score points by playing eight different Game Pass games for at least 15 minutes each calendar month.
• Weekly Streaks – Play for at least five days a week to earn points and unlock next week’s multiplier. Play more days to earn more points. A two-week streak will earn 2x the base streak points, a three-week streak will earn 3x the base streak points, and four-week and beyond streaks will earn 4x the base multiplier. Lost streaks will need to be built from the start.

On the surface, this system could allow players to earn Rewards points more easily by eliminating the requirement to earn achievements in games to complete Quests. Players can simply play their Game Pass titles at their own pace, without feeling forced to constantly find new achievements to unlock. If gamers can maintain the weekly quadruple-point bonus, then they should be able to earn around 2000 points a month. However, Xbox owners who cannot commit to gaming five times a week, every week, could struggle to earn these high point totals. Some gamers have already suggested that with these changes Microsoft is actually continuing its trend of reducing the number of Xbox Rewards points attainable by average players.​​​​​​

Although the recent updates to Xbox Game Pass Rewards are currently only active for users in Australia, this update is likely a preview before it rolls out to other areas, as Microsoft often tests updates in specific regions before launching worldwide. However, the continually changing nature of Xbox Game Pass Quests, coupled with the fluctuating value of Rewards points, has left some gamers skeptical of the scheme’s future.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft’s flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.