Xbox Live Gold Requirement to be Lifted for Warzone

On Friday, January 22nd, Microsoft announced a significant price increase to the Xbox Live Gold subscription service; these changes would double the price for players who purchased a 6 Month or 12 Month plan. This decision was met with overwhelming backlash across the gaming community, understandably so, with many comparing the cost to play on the Xbox platform compared to its competition.

No more than 24 hours following the announcement, Microsoft released an updated statement which apologizes to players and reverses the decision to increase the price of Xbox Live Gold.

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.

Although a welcomed correction by many, some players feel that the decision to revert these changes were simply made due to the negative attention that the company was showered in as a result.

As various communities online compared Microsoft's revised subscription prices to the likes of PlayStation and PC, a common point of discussion was the fact that players on the Xbox platform are required to purchase an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play free-to-play titles. Microsoft's competing platforms boast a truly free-to-play experience for players who cannot afford the cost of a subscription or premium titles.

As a means of goodwill toward the community, Microsoft also announced that in the coming months, players will no longer require a subscription for such titles.

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.

In March of 2020, Activision and Infinity Ward launched the Call of Duty: Warzone Battle Royale experience, free-to-play on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Until now, players on the Microsoft platform were required to maintain an Xbox Live Gold subscription - as a result of today's announcements, this will no longer be the case.

We'll share on Twitter once this change goes into affect.

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