Microsoft has unveiled a new iteration of Xbox Game Pass, which is set to replace Xbox Live Gold, and has confirmed that the Games with Gold initiative will be discontinued later this year.
Microsoft Introduces Xbox Game Pass Core, Phases Out Xbox Live Gold and Games with Gold
Dubbed « Xbox Game Pass Core, » the new subscription will be available for $10 per month or $60 per year. Subscribers will gain access to a curated selection of over 25 games that can be played on both Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles. The program is scheduled to launch on September 14, featuring titles like Gears 5, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Grounded, Halo 5, Inside, and Elder Scrolls Online in its initial library. Additionally, Microsoft plans to add new titles to the collection 2-3 times annually. While a list of confirmed Xbox Game Pass Core titles is provided below, it is worth noting that more games will be announced for the catalog before the service goes live in September.
Microsoft’s new Xbox Game Pass Core offers console players access to online multiplayer and various deals and discounts. However, it does not grant access to the complete Game Pass library, including day-one releases like Starfield. This announcement comes shortly after Microsoft raised the prices of Xbox Game Pass to $11/month and Game Pass Ultimate to $17/month.
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Once the new service launches, existing Xbox Live Gold members will be automatically converted into Game Pass Core subscribers.
Furthermore, Microsoft confirmed that the Games with Gold program will conclude on September 1. Explaining the decision, Microsoft stated, « We wanted to use this opportunity to re-imagine how to include content with this subscription. We found that the answer to the most compelling catalog was to leverage select titles from our Xbox Game Pass catalog. »
Players who have redeemed Xbox One games through Games with Gold will be able to continue playing them as long as they maintain an active Game Pass Core or Ultimate membership (similar to the previous requirement of an Xbox Live Gold membership). For Xbox 360 titles redeemed through Games with Gold, ownership will be retained even without an active subscription to any tier of Game Pass.
Ten years ago, in July 2013, Xbox 360 users were introduced to « Games with Gold, » a program that provided free games each month to Xbox Live Gold members, as long as they maintained an active subscription. Over time, however, the arrival of Game Pass diminished its appeal, with many noting that it no longer held the same allure it once had. Now, the program is set to bid farewell permanently.
Similarly, the branding for Microsoft’s premium tier was known as « Xbox Live Gold, » which has been rebranded as « Xbox Network » as of 2021.
The four distinct versions of Xbox Game Pass:
Xbox Game Pass Core ($10/month)
- Online console multiplayer access
- Access to catalog of 25+ games
- Deals and discounts
Xbox Game Pass Console ($11/month)
- Access to Game Pass library on console
- New releases on day one
- Deals and discounts
Xbox Game Pass PC ($10/month)
- Access to Game Pass library on PC
- New releases on day one
- Deals and discounts
- EA Play membership
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($17/month)
- Access to Game Pass library on console, PC, and the cloud
- New releases on day one
- Deals, discounts, and perks
- Online console multiplayer
- EA Play membership
Xbox Game Pass Core Titles:
As of July 17 confirmed titles are:
- 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
What about Xbox Live Gold membres?
For current Xbox Live Gold members:
- On September 14, Xbox Live Gold members will automatically become Game Pass Core members, with no change in pricing, and have immediate access to a new library of over 25 high-quality games.
- Member deals & discounts will also be part of Xbox Game Pass Core.
- Games with Gold will come to an end on September 1.
- Players can continue to access any Xbox One games they previously redeemed through Games with Gold if they remain a Game Pass Core or Game Pass Ultimate member.
- Regardless of subscription status, any Xbox 360 titles redeemed via Games with Gold in the past will be kept in a player’s library.
Thank you to everyone who has been with us since the early days, joined along the way with friends, and now with us in Xbox Game Pass. I’m proud and humbled by the stories we hear about online teammates becoming real-life friends after years playing, or even marriages whose initial spark was ignited in a pre-match lobby. We can’t wait to hear more from the community when it launches on September 14, and we’ll see you online!
