Multiplayer being a paid affair on consoles is something that we’ve all begrudgingly come to accept. Sony and Nintendo were both late to that party, with Microsoft being the first ones to take that step, with paid Xbox Live Gold subscriptions being required if you want to play Xbox games online. However, it’s looking like Microsoft will also be the first ones to walk back on that decision.
Rumours about Xbox Live Gold being put to rest completely have been circulating for a while, and recently, over on Twitter, GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb may have added fuel to that power. In a tweet, he said that Xbox Live Gold is going to be discontinued soon and that playing games on Xbox online will be free, while Microsoft won’t be pushing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for that same purpose. In a follow up tweet, he added that this isn’t just for free-to-play titles- Xbox Live Gold is apparently going away entirely.
Of course, this hasn’t been confirmed by Microsoft yet, but Grubb has generally been a very reliable source of information, while this isn’t the first time these rumours have popped up in recent days either. If Microsoft do indeed end up doing this, it’ll be a big step, and one that the larger audiences will be ecstatic about. Let’s just hope history repeats itself and both Sony and Nintendo follow in Microsoft’s footsteps once again.