For years at this point, if you have wanted to play games online via an Xbox platform, you needed to be a subscriber to Xbox Live Gold. Microsoft has really added any alterations or changes up the program in quite some time, but now, it seems as though an evolution of some sort could be incoming.
Somewhat surprisingly, and interestingly, Microsoft has today opted to no longer offer 12-month subscription options for Xbox Live Gold on its own storefront. Prospective purchasers of Xbox Live Gold can only now subscribe in either 1-month or 3-month options.
Microsoft confirmed that this wasn’t a mistake, either. Speaking to Inverse, the company explained more about the decision to pull the 12-month option down today stating simply, “At this time Xbox has decided to remove the 12 month Xbox Live Gold SKU from the Microsoft online Store.” A specific reason for the alteration wasn’t really given, but it does raise some interesting questions.
For starters, the fact that Microsoft seemingly isn’t trying to lock Xbox users into 12-mont subscriptions any longer might indicate that the service as a whole could be drastically changing or going away altogether in the next few months. While Xbox Live Gold will seemingly still be needed for the near future, with the Xbox Series X release coming up later this year, perhaps Microsoft is looking to just completely do away with the need to be a Gold subscriber in order to play games online for the next-generation of consoles.
While it remains to be seen if sweeping changes for Xbox Live Gold do end up coming soon, one thing is for sure: this has been a pretty massive day for Microsoft-related announcements. Not only has this change now taken place, but the company also revealed this afternoon that it is discontinuing both the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition.
With the upcoming Xbox Series X gameplay event set to transpire a week from now, the coming days should bring with it a whole lot more news related to the house of Xbox.
The post Xbox Live Gold 12-Month Subscription Options are Gone, Potentially Hint at Evolution of the Service by Logan Moore appeared first on DualShockers.