A lot of Xbox Series X and Xbox One owners got a little frustrated earlier today when Microsoft previously announced a price hike for its Xbox Live Gold service, opting to raise it around $1 a month or a little higher for a multi-month subscription.
The reason for this? Basically, an assessment of the value and pricing of the services to “reflect changes in regional marketplaces and to continue to invest in the Xbox community,” including the Xbox Game Pass service that’s already a part of its Ultimate plan.
But apparently it’s changed course. After hearing a great deal of negative fan feedback, it’s confirmed that it will not go through with the price change, and will keep the general Xbox Live Gold membership prices the way they are. That means $9.99 a month, $24.99 for three months, $39.99 for six months or $59.99 for 12 months. Those that want Ultimate, meanwhile, will still pay $14.99 monthly.
“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,” it noted.
As a gesture of good faith for its fans, it also confirmed a change with its free-to-play games on Xbox platforms. “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.”
Though some noted that a price change was necessary to continue to bolster Xbox Live online services, others felt that the price shift was unnecessary – and worse yet, unexplained to many. Apparently Microsoft agreed, and now it’ll stay the same as it is.
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