Xbox Game Pass Core to Replace Xbox Live Gold

Xbox Live Gold is officially becoming a new tier of the larger Xbox Game Pass ecosystem. For months, and years if you’re keen to argue it, Xbox Live Gold has offered little beyond the ability to play multiplayer games online. As Xbox Game Pass Core, the new tier will give players the same features as well as a few new additions. Here’s a breakdown of the newest subscription level for Microsoft’s game subscription service.

Xbox Game Pass Core, officially introduced by Xbox Wire, will launch on September 14 for the price of $9.99 USD per month. If you purchase a full year at once, you can save a little money and only spend $59.99 USD. Xbox Live Gold, the subscription that has been molded into this new Game Pass tier, is going to go away. While many of its features will carry over into this new offering, it is the end of an era for Xbox. Back when Halo and Gears of War were console-selling franchises, Xbox Live Gold was a no-brainer purchase.

Over 25 games will be included in the Xbox Game Pass Core subscription tier. You do not own these once your subscription ends, but you have full access to them during your active membership. Those games include:

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

A few times a year, this list will be updated with new additions. This, of course, is far from the complete package of games offered in the higher Xbox Game Pass tiers. A feature ending for Xbox Live Gold is Games with Gold, a monthly offering of two games to download and keep for free. This is now becoming Deals with Game Pass, which if the title is accurate seems to point to discounts rather than free game offerings.

All of this begins in the fall as Xbox and Microsoft seem poised to end another year a tad directionless. The pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard certainly is a high point for the company in 2023. That said, there are few titles in the Xbox Series X/S ecosystem that drive console sales. Instead, Xbox Game Pass does the heavy lifting, and a new, lower tier might be a way in for some players. Time will tell, but for now, say goodbye to Xbox Live Gold and hello to Xbox Game Pass Core.