The supposed goodbye of Xbox Live Gold It has been one of the topics that has generated the most conversation since the previous year. In mid-2021, some reports anticipated that Microsoft was ready to discontinue the aforementioned subscription, a move that ultimately did not occur. Despite the above, Jeff Grubb, a journalist from Gamesbeat and one of the most trusted sources in the industry, reiterated that Redmond’s plan to eliminate Gold is still underway.
The aforementioned believes that Gold’s final farewell is matter of time. This is due to the most recent movements that involve subscription, including that it is no longer a requirement to enjoy free titles (free to play) on Xbox consoles. “In the past I said that Xbox Live Gold would disappear, and when I began to say it was when Xbox Live Gold was still needed for free games,” he said in his section GrubbSnax by Giant Bomb (via VGC).
Grubb does not know if Microsoft has a set date to say goodbye to Xbox Live Gold, however, he is sure that Microsoft hasn’t completely ruled it out. “I want to reiterate, Xbox Live Gold is still on some board that says’ this is going to go away at some point. ‘I don’t know if they are currently actively talking about it or not, but they still have it on a roadmap that says’ Xbox Live Gold will be phased out sometime in the future. ‘”
Now, maybe Xbox Live Gold will stay in the world of the living for a few years. The reason? Microsoft will not forgo your membership to play online as long as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate does not reach the desired number of subscribers. Yes, Game Pass continues to grow and is the best service in the industry today. However, they have not yet reached a position that would allow them to dispense with the Gold income.
Jeff Grubb thinks that the goodbye of Xbox Live Gold could happen when Xbox Game Pass reaches between 40 and 50 million subscribers. How many do you have today? Between 19 and 23, according to the same source. Two games are on the horizon that could boost service like never before: Halo Infinite Y Starfield. The first will see the light in the last trimester, while Starfield will wait until November 11, 2022. According to Grubb, if Xbox Game Pass maintains its surprising growth rate, maybe in 2023 we’ll see the end of Gold. Sure, time will tell.