Microsoft is officially getting rid of its Xbox Live Gold subscription service and replacing it with Xbox Game Pass Core.

After years of rumours and speculation, Microsoft is officially discontinuing its Xbox Live Gold subscription service and replacing it with a Game Pass level called Game Pass Core. The possible demise of Live Gold has been rumoured since Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and its support for online multiplayer. Now it’s finally happening. The latter, while more expensive, has made Live Gold virtually redundant.

Not only did it give gamers access to online multiplayer and free Games with Gold games, but it also threw in the entire Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass libraries.

Combine that with the fact that Microsoft is apparently putting less effort into Games with Gold to focus on strengthening its Game Pass offerings, and the writing was on the wall for the classic Xbox Live service for quite some time.

On September 14, Xbox Live Gold will be discontinued. In its place will be Xbox Game Pass Core. Xbox Game Pass Core will cost $9.99 a month and $59.99 a year. That’s the same price as Live Gold now. It won’t include free monthly games, but subscribers will get access to a small selection of Game Pass titles. Free Games with Gold games already claimed will be transferable. Microsoft plans to update the Xbox Game Pass Core games list 2-3 times a year.

The Xbox Game Pass Core starter game list:

• Among Us
• Descenders
• Dishonored 2
• Doom Eternal
• Fable Anniversary
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76
• Forza Horizon 4
• Gears 5
• Grounded
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• Human Fall Flat
• Inside
• Ori & The Will of the Wisps
• Psychonauts 2
• State of Decay 2
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

What’s unclear about this significant change is what it means for those still playing online games on Xbox 360. Xbox Game Pass is not part of the Xbox 360 ecosystem.

It’s possible that because Xbox Game Pass Core is basically the same as Xbox Live Gold in terms of online multiplayer support, 360 gamers won’t have to worry about any significant changes.

In any case, introducing Xbox Game Pass Core means that Xbox will effectively offer four different Game Pass versions: Xbox Game Pass Core, the basic version of Game Pass for consoles, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It remains to be seen how the community will react to this change. But since the Games with Gold program has been neglected for years, it probably won’t upset too many people.

Source: Xbox.com