After the pre-orders for “Grand Theft Auto VI” opened, many players couldn’t help but gasp when they saw the starting price of US$80 (approximately NT$2,360, HK$628, RM340). However, recently some Xbox players have discovered that they may not have to spend money to buy games at all. Some long-term Microsoft Rewards players have begun to target “GTA 6”. Some people have even accumulated more than 110,000 Microsoft Rewards points, and are planning to directly redeem them for Xbox gift cards when the game is officially launched, which is equivalent to using points to “exchange the game for free.”
How much are 110,000 points worth?
Microsoft Rewards itself is Microsoft’s long-term rewards program. Players earn points by playing on Xbox, completing tasks, using Bing to search, and spending money in the Microsoft Mall, and then redeem them for gift cards or other rewards.
According to the current exchange rules, 5,000 points can be exchanged for approximately US$5 in Xbox gift cards, while the theoretical value of 110,000 points has exceeded US$100 (approximately equivalent to NT$2,950, HK$785, and RM425), which is even enough to pay for the standard version of “GTA 6”. For veteran players who have been collecting points for several consecutive years, these points are actually not accumulated in a short period of time, but are the result of slowly saving up by checking in, solving tasks, and playing games every day.
Microsoft would have allowed this
In fact, this is not a loophole operation! Microsoft officials have long allowed players to use Rewards points to redeem Xbox gift cards, and then use the gift card balance to purchase games, DLC and even some digital goods. Microsoft even emphasized on its official page that players can earn points through playing and shopping, and then redeem them for games and other rewards. Therefore, strictly speaking, these players are not “whoring” “GTA 6” for free, but are cashing out the time and points accumulated in the past few years at once.
The really great thing is not that it’s free, but that you can’t bear to spend it!
Interestingly, many players in the community discussion forum believe that the most difficult thing is not to earn 110,000 points at all, but to save 110,000 points. Because Microsoft Rewards can often be redeemed for Game Pass, gift cards, game discounts, or other rewards, many players can’t help but exchange it for something else after saving half of their savings. Even as early as last year, some players have publicly stated that their goal is to use Microsoft Rewards to buy “GTA 6” and save it all the way until the day the game is released.
Now that the pre-orders for “GTA 6” have begun, this group of “points ascetics” are finally waiting to realize their results. Others spend $80 to buy games, and their biggest cost may just be their perseverance to open the Xbox every day to do tasks over the years.