It means that Xbox Live Gold isn't for everyone, and depending on your preferred games, it could be a waste of your money. Source: Matt Brown | Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Matt Brown | Windows Central)Ĭhanges to Xbox Live Gold undoubtedly changed the value of the subscription, bringing various features, once exclusive to paying customers, to all users. The LFG system also provides a platform to search for teammates and like-minded players across the Xbox network, filtering users by game and various social preferences.

The former, Microsoft's staple voice chat system for Xbox, finally opened communication among all players. The platform also lifted the Xbox Live Gold requirement on Party Chat and Looking for Group (LFG) on Xbox consoles, two popular social features for multiplayer. While all paid Xbox games still require Xbox Live Gold, those with zero-cost entry are entirely free on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. You no longer need to pay the monthly fee on many popular titles, including Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Halo Infinite, and Apex Legends, to name a few. Xbox consoles have required an Xbox Live Gold membership to access online multiplayer since their inception, but changes introduced last April dropped that mandate for free-to-play games. That chiefly includes dropping the Xbox Live Gold requirement on free-to-play multiplayer titles, plus opening multiple social features to all on Xbox. The drastic policy shift changed up a subscription that's gone untouched in years, opening previously paid features to any Xbox console owner.

Microsoft rolled out sweeping changes to Xbox Live Gold back in 2021, shaking up the value proposition for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S owners.

Source: Epic Games (Image credit: Source: Epic Games)

Xbox live gold vs game pass cost