Microsoft Just Gave Xbox Live Gold Subscribers Some Bad News
Regular updates to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Live Gold, and their associated games libraries are to be expected at this point, but unfortunately, it can't always be good news. Sometimes, as we've seen with Netflix in the past, live services have to say goodbye to some sections of their vast libraries, and this time around, Xbox 360 games are on the chopping block. In an email sent to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, Microsoft explains that Xbox 360 titles will no longer be supported as part of its Games with Gold service starting on October 1, 2022.
"We have reached the limit of our ability to bring Xbox 360 games to the catalogue," Microsoft stated, "however, Games with Gold will continue to include exciting Xbox One titles and exclusive savings each month. This will not impact any Xbox 360 games that you downloaded before October 2022." As well, the company reassures its Xbox subscribers that any of the Xbox 360 games they've already claimed through Games with Gold will remain available to them under the account that nabbed them — and yes, that includes the stipulation that players get to keep the games even if their subscriptions lapse.
The games you've claimed aren't going anywhere
Well-known Twitter games news breaker Waio64 has also pointed out that anything that was previously downloaded through Games with Gold will also still be available. That means any Xbox 360 games you've installed in the past, then deleted, can still be downloaded again after the cutoff date — though there's also no harm in preemptively installing any Xbox 360 games you may want to hang onto ahead of time, just in case.
Despite the loss of Xbox 360 releases through Games with Gold, Microsoft has said that nothing else will be affected. Xbox One titles will still be offered up every month, and the same general rules regarding ownership, re-downloading, and reinstallation apply. Xbox Live Gold subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, though diehard fans may find the Xbox Game Pass subscription more appealing. The latter option includes Xbox Live Gold as part of the plan, which is priced at $14.99 per month.