Verizon customers are facing yet another round of service changes, as the telecom provider begins phasing out popular gaming perks and loyalty discounts from its older 5G plans, while raising service fees across the board.
Verizon has confirmed that it is discontinuing the free Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass subscriptions for users on 5G Get More and 5G Play More plans. These perks will be removed starting September 25, 2025.
“The subscriptions, which usually cost $6.99 (Apple Arcade) and $4.99 (Google Play Pass) monthly, allowed customers to access a wide library of mobile games,” the report states.
Customers whose six-month promotional period ends before September 25 will begin to be charged unless they cancel. Those whose perks expire on or after that date will see the subscriptions automatically removed with no charge.
Gaming Perks Only Available Through myPlan Add-On
Verizon clarified, via PhoneArena, that customers can continue enjoying these gaming subscriptions only if they switch to the newer myPlan and purchase the Apple One add-on.
This move is seen by many as an effort to push legacy plan users toward Verizon’s myPlan ecosystem, which the company has been aggressively promoting over the past year.
Loyalty Discounts Cut and More Price Increases Incoming
As reported by The Street, Verizon’s removal of gaming perks is just one part of a broader cost-cutting strategy that includes raising plan prices and eliminating loyalty discounts—changes that have angered many long-time customers.
Verizon has already increased pricing on several of its legacy plans, including:
- 5G Start
- 5G Play More
- 5G Get More
- 5G Do More
The company also raised its device activation fee from $35 to $40 and is reportedly increasing pricing for tablet data plans as well.
Starting September 1, loyalty discounts—some ranging from $10 to $40 per month—will also be removed. These discounts were originally introduced to encourage customer retention, but Verizon is now sending emails to affected users urging them to switch to myPlan.
Verizon Faces Backlash Over Mixed Messaging
The growing dissatisfaction among users comes just weeks after Verizon executives made public promises to prioritize customer retention.
During a July 21 earnings call, Verizon CFO Tony Skiadas stated that the company was: “Doubling down on retention efforts through AI-based personalised support and access to exclusive events.”
However, these statements appear contradictory to the ongoing perks removals and price hikes.
Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, during the same call, acknowledged that the company’s recent changes had led to a loss of 51,000 postpaid customers in Q2 2025. He added that Verizon would continue to be:
“financially disciplined” and focus on what it calls “high-quality customers,”
“essentially meaning that it is happy for customers who turn down its higher prices to go elsewhere.”
