If you see that you cannot purchase another yearly installment of Xbox Live, you may think that you have been banned or that your internet is giving you a hard time. However, neither of those are the case. Without any warning, in mid-July, Microsoft had chosen to no longer make the 12-month Xbox Live subscription available for purchase. However, the one and three-month plans are still available for those who need a temporary fix.
What will happen to Xbox Live entirely?
Don’t fret. A Microsoft spokesman confirmed with True Achievements, that the delisting was intentional, with “Xbox [deciding] to remove the 12 months Xbox Live Gold SKU.” With shorter subscriptions still up for purchase, many have speculated that Xbox Live could be eliminated soon, meaning accessing multiplayer could be entirely free moving forward. Xbox head Phil Spencer has mentioned that Xbox will carry out several presentations for the Xbox Series X this summer, so their plans for the online service may be outlined very soon.
On an episode of the Crossfire podcast, VentureBeat Games Journalist Jeff Grubb dispelled that he’s heard an end to the service is likely. “I think I’ve pretty much heard that. You know, I’m not going to say that’s 100%, but I think that seems very close to being a sure thing,” Grubb mentioned. Another possibility is the idea of Xbox pushing players toward Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a plan that allows players to access both Gold and Xbox Game Pass. Currently, the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is available for $14.99/month.
Xbox’s next press conference, Xbox Games Showcase, will air live on July 23 at 9am PT, or 12pm ET. If major changes are announced for the online service, it will likely also be made known on Xbox One’s home menu.
