In an interesting development, and wonderful coup for Xbox gamers, Microsoft has backflipped on their recent plans to increase the price of Xbox Live Gold. It was previously announced that Microsoft would be increasing the subscription price for new adopters. It was intended to bump their 1-month memberships upwards by $1, while the 3-month membership would increase by $5.
This news was met by stern criticism by the gaming community. This reaction is not unexpected or irrational, either, as consumers are constantly being forced to take on the growing costs of gaming, TV & movie studios around the world. As media moves further and further away from the traditional model, and towards the streaming model, this has become more prevalent – and frankly, very annoying.
A short time after the original announcement, Microsoft did performed a 180, backflipping on their plans to increase Xbox Live Gold prices. Not only did they renege on their plans, they also provided an additional caveat for Xbox gamers, announcing that “Free to play” games will now actually be free to play. They will dump the need for Xbox Live Gold for games that are free to download in the Xbox Store.
This is wonderful news for those who mostly stick to the social, free-to-play games, such as Fortnite, Apex Legends and League of Legends.
Right now, you can pick up an Xbox Live Gold subscription for $10.95 (AUD) per month or $29.95 per quarter. Microsoft are currently offering their Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription for $1 across the first 3-months. You can get that deal, here.
