References to Xbox Live Removed From Microsoft Service Agreement
Rumors that Xbox may soon be doing away with Xbox Live have been circulating quite a bit lately, primarily stemming from Xbox removing the 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription option from its lineup, leaving subscribers with the option for 1-month or 3-month subscriptions. Now, a new detail in the Microsoft Service Agreement has added fuel to the speculation.
First pointed out by Wario64 on Twitter, the Microsoft Service Agreement has removed references to Xbox Live Gold, replacing them with "Xbox online service." In recent months, Xbox's emphasis on Xbox Game Pass has grown, which has sparked speculation that the Game Pass could completely replace Xbox Live Gold in the coming months. There are numerous possibilities as to why Microsoft would remove references to Xbox Live Gold, though it is an eyebrow-raising move.
If Microsoft were to do away with Xbox Live Gold, it isn't entirely clear what would replace it. The most likely answer is Game Pass, though some have speculated that it could mean online play is free for everyone on the platform. This would mean greater parity between Xbox and PC's online services, but subscription revenue seems like a key part of Xbox's future, so that's still uncertain.
It's also unclear what would happen to remaining Xbox Live Gold subscriptions if the service were to disappear. It's yet another area where Game Pass seems like the most likely answer, assuming Microsoft would convert each remaining month of Xbox Live Gold into a single month of Game Pass. It would be a pro-consumer move, which Xbox has also been putting a heavier emphasis on as of late, and would make sense given the company's new direction as a platform, rather than a traditional game company.
More Xbox news should be coming this month, so it's possible that fans find out about the service's future in the coming weeks. It's unlikely that fans will stop speculating given the mounting evidence that the service may be going away, so it's an area that Microsoft might want to make announcement sooner rather than later.
Regardless, fans will find out eventually. Xbox Live revolutionized online play for consoles, so seeing it disappear would certainly be the end of an era. Xbox continues to evolve, though, and if it does end, it's likely part of a larger plan for the company's future, and considering the positive moves Xbox is making, that may not be a bad thing.
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