Microsoft is scrapping its Xbox Live Gold service in September to make way for a Game Pass-only future. According to an early message spotted online, the service will end on 1 September and players will be transitioned over to a new Game Pass Core plan.
The new Game Pass Core service is very similar to Xbox Live Gold but it does have some incentives. The marketing information says that Game Pass Core costs $9,99 a month and offers online multiplayer, a catalogue of over 25 games and includes similar discounts and deals for members.
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So by the look of things, you won’t be able to play online without this Game Pass Core service as it will replace the paywall set in place by Xbox Live Gold. We also don’t know yet what the full list of these 25 games will include but Microsoft is likely offering them as a taste of what you’ll get in Game Pass Ultimate—as a result, urging gamers to upgrade to the service.
So far, the list of games includes:
- Among Us
- Descenders
- Dishonored 2
- DOOM Eternal
- Fable Anniversary
- Fallout 4
- Fallout 76
- Forza Horizon 4
- Gears 5
- Grounded
- Halo 5
- Halo Wars 2
- Hellblade
- Human Fall Flat
- INSIDE
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Psychonauts 2
- State of Decay 2
- Elder Scrolls Online
Remember that Xbox Live Gold is cheaper than this upcoming Game Pass Core service. Especially here in SA, Xbox Live Gold costs only R79 a month whereas Game Pass is going up to R139 a month in August. This R79 monthly price hasn’t been adjusted in a while and if Microsoft adopts the $9.99 Game Pass Core in the region, it will likely cost over R100 for the entry-level subscription.
The online message also says that all games which were obtained through Xbox Live Gold in the past will still remain on your account when you upgrade to Game Pass Core on 1 September.
We will share the official news of this service once Microsoft has confirmed its launch. At the moment, this has come from a premature announcement made on Windows Central. Seems they weren’t meant to publish the news just yet.
Source: Windows Central
