Just one day after announcing that the price of its Xbox Live Gold subscription was going to increase, Microsoft changed its mind and will keep the prices as they are. In an Xbox Wire post on January 22, the company announced plans to increase the price of a one-month Xbox Live Gold subscription by $1, while raising the price of a three-month subscription by $5. This would have led to the price of an Xbox Live Gold subscription at around €10,99 (around €8 / AU$14) for one month, €29,99 (€22 / AU$39) for three months and €59,99 (€44 / AU€78) for six months. This was seen by many as a pretty big increase that would bring the cost of a year's Xbox Live Gold membership to $120 for those who purchase their membership three months at a time, garnering a strong reaction from fans. Now, after seeing these reactions, Microsoft has decided not to go through with the price increase after all. In fact, Microsoft has gone even further and announced that free games on Xbox will no longer require a Gold subscription to play. The change won't be immediate, but it will be introduced "in the coming months" and it will mean that when it does, Halo Infinite's free multiplayer will truly be free on Xbox.
"We turn this moment into an opportunity"
In a statement (via GamesIndustry.biz), Microsoft said: “Today we were wrong and you were right to let us know. Connecting and playing with friends is a vital part of the game, and we have failed to meet the expectations of players who rely on it every day. As a result, we have decided not to change the price of Xbox Live Gold. “We are turning this moment into an opportunity to bring Xbox Live more in line with how we see the player at the center of their experience. For the free games, you will no longer need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play these games on Xbox. We are working hard to make this change as soon as possible in the coming months. “If you are already an Xbox Live Gold member, you stay at the current renewal price. New and existing members can continue to enjoy Xbox Live Gold for the same prices they pay today. In the US, €9,99 for 1 month, €24,99 for 3 months, €39,99 for 6 months and €59,99 for 12 months retail. It's possible that the price increase was intended to make Game Pass Ultimate (which includes an Xbox Live Gold membership plus access to a game library and cloud gaming) even more tempting, but such a move was not appreciated by those who thought so were forced to adopt the service This reversal is therefore quite significant and will certainly be welcomed by Xbox users.