Exciting News: Xbox Live Gold is Being Upgraded to Xbox Game Pass Core!

Microsoft is officially discontinuing its Xbox Live Gold subscription service and introducing a new tier of Game Pass called Xbox Game Pass Core. Rumors about the demise of Xbox Live Gold have been circulating since the introduction of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which offers online multiplayer support. Now, it's finally happening.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, although more expensive than Xbox Live Gold, has essentially rendered the service obsolete. It not only provides access to online multiplayer and free Games with Gold, but it also includes the entire Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass libraries. Additionally, Microsoft has been shifting its focus away from Games with Gold to prioritize the Game Pass lineup, making it clear that the classic Xbox Live service's fate was already sealed.

On September 14, Xbox Live Gold will be discontinued and replaced by Xbox Game Pass Core. Xbox Game Pass Core will be priced at $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year, aligning with the current cost of Xbox Live Gold. It will not provide monthly free games, but will grant subscribers access to a limited selection of Game Pass titles. Previously claimed free Games with Gold games will still be available. Microsoft's plan is to update the list of Xbox Game Pass Core games 2-3 times annually.

List of Xbox Game Pass Core Games

Among Us

Descenders

Dishonored 2

Doom Eternal

Fable Anniversary

Fallout 4

Fallout 76

Forza Horizon 4

Gears 5

Grounded

Halo 5: Guardians

Halo Wars 2

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Human Fall Flat

Inside

Ori & The Will of the Wisps

Psychonauts 2

State of Decay 2

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

It is unclear what this significant change means for Xbox 360 players who are still engaged in online gaming. Xbox Game Pass is not compatible with the Xbox 360 ecosystem. However, since Xbox Game Pass Core is essentially the same as Xbox Live Gold in terms of supporting online multiplayer, there may not be any major concerns for 360 gamers.

In any case, the introduction of Xbox Game Pass Core means that Xbox now offers four different versions of Game Pass: Xbox Game Pass Core, the standard console version of Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It remains to be seen how the community will respond to this change, but considering that the Games with Gold program has been neglected for years, it is unlikely to cause significant dissatisfaction.