Xbox announces Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks which will give subscribers free DLC. The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service has been available for fans since April 2019 and has provided subscribers Xbox Game Pass on PC and Xbox One and Xbox Live Gold.
In a post on the Xbox Wire, Xbox confirmed that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks would be available beginning on March 18, 2020. Perks are a "new exclusive member benefit" that can help Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers find new things to enjoy in their games. Some of the Perks that may be available are DLC and other in-game content.
The first four games with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks are Phantasy Star Online 2, World of Tanks: Mercenaries, Sea of Thieves, and Smite. Phantasy Star Online 2 players will get cosmetics such as an Xbox jacket, emotes, a gold ticket Mission Pass, and a Meseta Crystal. This Perk is only available to players in the United States and Canada though which seems like a strange decision.
Players of World of Tanks: Mercenaries, the free to play tank game, will get "three powerful tanks and more" for being an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber. Developer Wargaming has been criticized for World of Tanks' pay to win before and some could see these Perks as more of that. However, it could also help new players to become better at the game.
There are also Perks for Sea of Thieves as players can get Ori cosmetics like the Ancestral Sails, Figurehead, Hull, and Flag. Microsoft has confirmed that Sea of Thieves has hit its sales expectations and being part of Xbox Game Pass and using features like Perks like helps to keep the game very popular. The Perks for Smite are five Gods, character cosmetics and voice packs.
While some games may have dropped loot boxes, there are many others that offer season passes, story DLC and cosmetic microtransactions. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks are unlikely to stop players from spending on these but it is a way for fans who don't want to spend money to get these things for free.
Microsoft has said that Xbox Game Pass is successful but Perks could potentially grow its number of subscribers some more. The company is one of several who see subscription services as hugely important to their business which is why it keeps making Xbox Game Pass better and why fans should probably expect more features like Perks.