Xbox Live Gold is being sunsetted, as Microsoft prepares to replace the online service membership with a brand new Xbox Game Pass Core subscription. From 14 September 2023, all current Xbox Live Gold members will be transitioned to the new Game Pass Core subscription, and gain all the added benefits of this membership.
Game Pass Core will allow players to continue playing games online, and will also provide subscribers with access to a new library of ‘over 25 games’ for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, with new titles being added 2-3 times a year.
The service will cost USD $9.99 | AUD $10.95 per month, or USD $59.99 | AUD $79.95 per year – the same price as existing Xbox Live Gold memberships.
While this change appears to be largely ‘business as usual’, there is a caveat with the transition – the Games with Gold service will cease on 1 September 2023. That means Xbox Live Gold subscribers will no longer be able to claim a monthly rotating selection of free games after August 2023.
Read: Xbox Game Pass: July 2023 games revealed
Any Xbox One games claimed from Games with Gold will still be accessible as long as players have a Game Pass membership, and all Xbox 360 games will remain in a player’s library permanently, but no future games will be offered.
For now, players with Xbox Live Gold subscriptions will not be required to make any changes to their subscription. The transition to Game Pass Core will be automatic, with a smooth transition planned according to the company.
Xbox Game Pass Core: Game Lineup
In announcing the arrival of Xbox Game Pass Core, Microsoft has also revealed a handful of games available as part of the Core game library. So far, this list includes:
- 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
More games are expected to be announced in the coming months, as Microsoft prepares for the arrival of Xbox Game Pass Core. For more information, head to the Xbox Wire blog for the latest details.
