Something’s brewing at Microsoft as it appears the company has removed the ability to buy 12 month Xbox Live subscriptions through its store. The move was first noticed shortly after Xbox top dog Phil Spencer revealed changes to its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Bundle.
Last week, Spencer revealed that Xbox will be adding Project xCloud, its streaming service, to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bundle, the subscription package which bundles Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass for console and PC. Project xCloud will be added in September, and the additional content won’t change the monthly $14.99 price tag.
As for why the 12 month subscription tier has been scrapped…well.
It’s not yet clear why Microsoft has scrapped the 12 month Live subscriptions, but it’s being speculated that the move could suggest the Live subscription paywall could be removed entirely. Now that’s something that Sony might struggle to compete with.
At the time of writing, the single and three-month subscription passes are still available, and with the next-generation of console gaming coming at the end of 2020, it’s likely that this isn’t a coincidence.
Speaking to True Achievements, an Xbox spokesperson said the following:
“At this time, Xbox has decided to remove the 12 months Xbox Live Gold SKU from the Microsoft online Store. Customers can still sign up for a one month or three month Xbox Live Gold subscription online through the Microsoft Store.”
In related news, it’s also been confirmed that the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S All-Digital models would be discontinued.
“As we ramp into the future with Xbox Series X, we’re taking the natural step of stopping production on Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition,” a Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge.
“Xbox One S will continue to be manufactured and sold globally.”
Featured Image Credit: Microsoft