Microsoft to increase Xbox Live Gold prices

Xbox’s online service, Xbox Live Gold, will see its price increase for the first time in more than a decade, Microsoft announced today.

A one-month subscription will increase $1 to $10, a three-month subscription will jump $5 to $29.99, while a six-month membership will become $59.99 or your local market equivalent. If you still have an existing six-month or 12-month Xbox Live Gold membership, the current price will be retained until you choose to renew.

Microsoft is also pushing for existing users to shift to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by offering an enticing upgrade deal. Xbox Gold Live members who choose to switch to the Game Pass Ultimate will get their remaining membership converted at no additional cost, up to 36 months.

The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a combination of four different services offered by Microsoft, including an EA Play membership and Xbox Live Gold. The service will give users access to Microsoft’s cloud gaming service, providing a library of games that can be streamed across multiple platforms.

Microsoft is in the process of notifying members about the adjusted prices with emails and notifications to the message center. Prices won’t change until at least 45 days after users receive the message.

Update Jan. 23 8:02am CT: Microsoft reversed its decision to increase Xbox Live Gold membership prices in an updated statement last night. Additionally, free-to-play games will no longer require Xbox Live Gold membership in a change that will come “as soon as possible in the coming months.”

“We messed up today and you were right to let us know,” Microsoft wrote. “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.”