Discord’s paid Nitro subscription now includes Xbox Game Pass, discounts on gaming hardware

A new version of Xbox Game Pass will soon be available as part of perks for Discord’s new Nitro Rewards program, Discord revealed today.

Discord Nitro Rewards is a third-party program that includes benefits for those subscribed to the monthly service, like discounts on gaming peripherals. But the new Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition is the big draw thus far. And as part of the partnership, Game Pass subscribers will get free Discord Nitro in return.

“As it reaches its 10-year milestone, Nitro is entering a new era,” Discord said in a statement. “Discord is evolving Nitro based on what members have been asking for the most, extending its value into the rest of members’ gaming lives – the games they play, the gear they use, and how they show up in the communities they love.”

Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition is available in several countries as part of the program, and it includes:

50+ games like Stardew Valley, DayZ, and Fallout 4

10 hours of cloud gaming each month

Play and earn up to $25 a year in the Store with Rewards

Discounts for Logitech and Steel Series items are also available as part of the program, which is likely to expand and include different offers over time. For now, the 50-plus Xbox games for free are a decent enough perk to get things going.

For $9.99 a month, Nitro also includes the ability to upload files up to 500MB in size, usage of custom emotes on any server, HD video streaming, and a lot more. I personally subscribe to the service already, so the Nitro Rewards program is a welcome change, as long as the subscription price doesn’t go up any further.

“Everything you already get with Nitro is still here and still growing,” said Lu Zhang, Discord’s senior director of product. “What’s new is that your membership now works beyond Discord, too. Our goal is to make Nitro the must-have membership for anyone who plays games. This is a big step towards that goal, and we will continue to bring you more exciting partners and perks in 2026 and beyond.”

For full info on the new rewards program, check out Discord’s website.

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Forza Horizon 6 somehow leaked and was cracked wide open over the weekend, leading to some players gaining access to it well ahead of its launch day.

The game isn’t due to launch until May 19 (the Premium Edition gets access four days earlier), but many have somehow unlocked and begun playing the game as early as a few days ago. Gameplay videos have begun appearing on YouTube, Twitch, and other websites, and it’s gotten a bit out of hand, forcing the game’s devs to address it.

It seems that players accessing the game likely has something to do with an early access review build appearing as 155 GB of unencrypted downloadable files on SteamDB, and developer Playground Games says it is “not the result of a pre-load issue.” It’s possible that a content creator or reviewer with early access broke embargo and made it all possible.

“We are taking strict enforcement action against any individuals found accessing this build including franchise-wide and hardware bans,” Playground said. “We encourage fans to sit tight for the game’s release on May 19.”

The full game is now reportedly appearing on piracy sites, although some who have accessed it say they were able to do so simply by pre-ordering. The player who was first to crack the game says that its files were not encrypted, so it’s turned into a bit of a blame game.

No matter who or what is at fault, Playground says it may be banning people who play it early, and some have taken exception to that by claiming that it was a mistake on the studio’s end and that they should not be punished for playing the game early because of it.

But for those who pirated the game illegally once it leaked, there’s no real argument to be had, so think twice before booting up the game before it’s unlocked for real later this week or next, depending on which edition you buy.

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