Like Sony’s PlayStation Plus, Microsoft has its Xbox Live Gold subscription service. Over the weekend, Microsoft announced that it will be increasing the subscription prices of its Xbox Live Gold service. Unsurprisingly, the backlash to it is severe enough that the company has decided ultimately to not do it.
Initially, Microsoft posted that subscribers looking to renew their subscriptions will have to pay US$1 more a month. A three-month subscription was planned for a US$5 hike, for some reason. And the prices were set to go exponentially higher as you get more months’ worth of subscription.
To bring Xbox Live more in line with how we see the player at the center of their experience we will be removing Gold requirements for free-to-play games.
We're starting work on that immediately and will have updates in the coming months. Details: https://t.co/tWomNAwmp9
— Xbox (@Xbox) January 23, 2021
Though thanks to the backlash, Microsoft decided not to go ahead with the Xbox Live Gold subscription price hike. As part of the backlash, gamers also noted that the subscription was needed to play free-to-play games. As a result, this will also be changed in the coming months. No word on when exactly it will happen. But when it does, you’ll be able to play things like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone without Xbox Live Gold.
The last change is probably very much welcomed as an additional benefit. After all, Xbox was the only one that wasn’t doing it, with PlayStation and Nintendo already allowing it.
(Source: Microsoft)
