Yesterday Microsoft announced that is raising the price for its Xbox Live Gold subscription to almost double the price but less than 18 hours later, the company has gone back on its decision to increase the price of the subscription after fan backlash. Their initial announcement increased the price to almost double what the previous was in a bid to push more players towards Game Pass Ultimate which includes both Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass.
In its official blog post, the company states:
We messed up today and you were right to let us know. Connecting and playing with friends is a vital part of gaming and we failed to meet the expectations of players who count on it every day. As a result, we have decided not to change Xbox Live Gold pricing.
We’re turning this moment into an opportunity to bring Xbox Live more in line with how we see the player at the center of their experience. For free-to-play games, you will no longer need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play those games on Xbox. We are working hard to deliver this change as soon as possible in the coming months.
If you are an Xbox Live Gold member already, you stay at your current price for renewal. New and existing members can continue to enjoy Xbox Live Gold for the same prices they pay today. In the US, $9.99 for 1 month, $24.99 for 3 months, $39.99 for 6 months and $59.99 for retail 12 months.
According to the previously announced price hike, the new prices were going to be 1 month for $10.99, 3 months for $29.99, and 6 months for $59.99 which is double the normal price. Normally, you can get 1-year Xbox Live Gold for $59.99 however the decision has been reverted after a lot of fans were angry about it and expressed their anger on social media. Xbox has also announced that all free-to-play titles will not require Xbox Live Gold from now on as well.
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What do you think about Microsoft’s decision to increase the Xbox Live Gold prices and then revert the prices back in less than 18 hours? Let us know in the comments section below.
