HHW Gaming: Microsoft Jacks The Price of Xbox Live Gold Up, Gamers Are Not Happy

Source: MARK RALSTON / Getty

Microsoft might have taken a gigantic step backward after announcing a series of price hikes for its Xbox Live Gold subscription service.

It’s gonna cost you more money to play games online on your expensive Xbox Series X.

Today the company revealed that Xbox Live Gold subscription prices are going up, and it’s not sitting well with gamers at all. In a blog post, the company announced its decision, stating:

“Periodically, we assess the value and pricing of our services to reflect changes in regional marketplaces and to continue to invest in the Xbox community; we’ll be making price adjustments for Xbox Live Gold in select markets. In many markets, the price of Xbox Live Gold has not changed for years, and in some markets, it hasn’t changed for over 10 years.”

So exactly what does that mean for your wallet?

It means the one-month subscription is increasing by a whole dollar to $10.99 per month, and the three-month subscription will see a $5 increase to $29.99. Now, if you’re an existing Xbox Live Gold subscriber with a 12-month subscription — which Microsoft no longer offers — you won’t see a price increase and will be able to renew your subscription at their current prices. The jig falls onto new subscribers who will now have to pony $59.99 for a six-month subscription, which is basically $120 for an entire year.

Existing Xbox Live Gold members will have the option to “upgrade” their Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at no additional cost, for the remaining term of their current Gold membership, with a cap of 36 months.

Subscription service hikes are nothing new, but this particular instance isn’t quite passing the smell test with faithful Xbox Live users. Microsoft’s decision to hike up the price comes as many people are still feeling the sting of the COVID-19 pandemic on their bank accounts. Plus, the tech company recently announced a substantial boost to its gaming revenue throughout 2020. The decision is also coming off as just an aggressive way to lure or push more people on the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan.

Another thing that is not sitting well with gamers is the fact they will now have to pay $120 to play games like Fortnite or Call of Duty: Warzone. Both titles are free-to-play on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch without needing to sign up for consoles services.

Every few months, Xbox needs to do something to remind people it's not actually that in touch with gamers or reality. $120 for a year of Xbox Live Gold (to bully people onto Game Pass) is the latest example.

— Jeff Grubb (@JeffGrubb) January 22, 2021

Welp.

You can peep more reactions to Microsoft raising the price of Xbox Live Gold in the gallery below.

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Photo: MARK RALSTON / Getty