Xbox Online Multiplayer Might Become Free, According to Rumors - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 December 2020 / 3,386 Views
In order to play multiplayer games online on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 you have to pay for it with a varying price point depending on the console. This started back on the original Xbox with the launch of Xbox Live in 2002. However, it is possibly Microsoft might be doing away with paid multiplayer.
Rumors have been going around Microsoft plans to make multiplayer free for all in the future. The company has dropped the ability to buy one year of Xbox Live Gold and only having single and three month available for purchase.
GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb via Twitter says that Microsoft plans to drop Xbox Live Gold and make online multiplayer free on the Xbox and they won't force people into buying Game Pass Ultimate in order to play online.
"Xbox Live Gold is going away and playing online multiplayer will be free," said Grubb. "They will not force you into Ultimate to play online."
Xbox Live Gold is going away and playing online multiplayer will be free. They will not force you into Ultimate to play online.
— grubbsnax is back (@JeffGrubb) July 31, 2020
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Would be great news. Hope Sony follows suit.
Holy fuck this could be big.
That is a megaton for sure... but i doubt it, live keeps xbox alive, and if they go free they will need another "golden hen". That's a big bet, one that can put xbox back in the race or cause some gigantic damage.
Game pass is what they are pushing for now. So giving free online could boost it up.
Makes sense now that GamePass is a thing. Its a big call tho, Live generates billions.
I've never liked the idea of having to pay to be able to play online, besides from the mmo ffxiv, I haven't used any of the online modes in a video game for 10 years.
I am skeptical just because how much money it generates. I would sooner believe they remove that pay wall for F2P games.
If u get gamepass ultimate then u will have xbox live. Guessing they will make people get that to play online which means getting gamepass. They could add it to normal gamepass as well
This would be an amazing pro-consumer move. But it would be a big gamble for Microsoft. Paid online is their thing. They are the only console maker where you have always had to pay for their online service. They almost always sell their consoles at a loss. Software, Xbox Live, and Game Pass is where their money comes from. On the other hand, I think more consoles and software would be sold if online was free. Heck, you'd get more Game Pass subscribers as well.
Their consoles actually seem to profit them, just not nearly as much as services. One would also have to wonder how the Steam sales are adding to their arks now as well.
Maybe a drier stream but a stream nonetheless is good in the long term, especially for xCloud. Remember that online services were a "novelty" when the company did it on the original. It's perfectly possible they might actually have similar foresight here as they did when they pushed for online then and they essentially forced even Nintendo into it.
If true, then they might not only throw Stadia out altogether, but repeat the 360s' success story.
We've already had XSX trailers saying Gold required to play, membership sold separately. Highly doubt they would put that in the trailers, then get rid of Gold.
I saw this on resetera, it was corrected though. Its free-to-play multiplayer games, will be free to play online, like on PS4/Switch, now on future Xbox's.
So premium games' MP will still be behind a paywall?
I'd be shocked if MS did this I really would. It's basically just giving up so much money in the hopes that what? Sony players will come to your console? Huge risk.
Would be huge.
I dont understand why I have to pay for online a 2nd time anyways, if I already paid for it with the price for the game.
It's like as if you buy a car, but you dont get the keys for it until you agree to pay an additional monthly fee.
Would be huge.
I dont understand why I have to pay for online a 2nd time anyways, if I already paid for it with the price for the game.
It's like as if you buy a car, but you dont get the keys for it until you agree to pay an additional monthly fee.
You buy a car, you still need to pay for fuel to use it..
But i get your point.
This is actually anti-consumer as they’re removing options from us. Fuck you M$
Does not computer. Live subscriptions have been only thing that have kept the Xbox division from hemorrhaging red ink.
