Microsoft Replaces Xbox Live Gold with Xbox Game Pass Core and Discontinues Games with Gold

Microsoft is shaking up its subscription offerings by introducing Xbox Game Pass Core, set to replace Xbox Live Gold. This new subscription package will encompass essential features like online console multiplayer support, exclusive deals, and discounts. Additionally, it provides access to a curated collection of more than 25 games, featuring popular titles such as Gears 5, Forza Horizon 4, and Psychonauts 2.

Current Xbox Live Gold subscribers will undergo an automatic transition to Xbox Game Pass Core, maintaining the existing pricing structure of $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year. However, this change also marks the end of the Games with Gold program, which has provided Xbox users with complimentary monthly game downloads for a decade.

The Game Pass Core's game selection is designed to replace Games with Gold, and Microsoft plans to introduce new titles to it two to three times annually. While this new subscription tier aims to simplify offerings, it may introduce some complexity regarding multiplayer access. Unlike Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes multiplayer, the standard Xbox Game Pass does not. 

Therefore, users will need Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for the combined benefits of Game Pass and online multiplayer, potentially leading to some confusion in the gaming community. This move signifies the evolving landscape of Xbox subscriptions and follows Microsoft's earlier efforts to make online multiplayer and free-to-play games more accessible to Xbox players.