Xbox Live Gold is no longer required to play free-to-play multiplayer games

An Xbox Live Gold subscription is no longer required to play free-to-play multiplayer games on Xbox consoles, Microsoft has confirmed.

Until now, Xbox Live Gold has been required to play all Xbox games online, including free-to-play titles like Warzone, Fortnite and Rocket League, which are available at no extra cost on rival platforms.

Microsoft said in January that it intended to drop the Xbox Live Gold requirement for free-to-play games “as soon as possible in the coming months”.

And starting today, Microsoft said “all Xbox players will be able to access online multiplayer at no charge for a library of over 50 free-to-play games that support online multiplayer”.

It added in an FAQ: “In addition to online multiplayer, we’re unlocking Looking for Group with the April 2021 system update, and party chat is available at no cost for all free-to-play games on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One (Xbox 360 players can use the free party option available through the Xbox mobile app).”

Free-to-play games available on Xbox

• 3on3 FreeStyle
• Aegis Wing
• APB Reloaded
• Apex Legends
• Armored Warfare
• Battle Ages
• Battle Islands
• Battle Islands: Commanders
• Bless Unleashed
• Brawlhalla
• Call of Duty: Warzone
• Crackdown
• Crackdown 2
• Crimson Alliance
• Crossout
• CRSED: F.O.A.D.
• Darwin Project
• Dauntless
• DC Universe Online
• Dead or Alive 5 Last Round: Core Fighters
• Dead or Alive 6: Core Fighters
• Defiance 2050
• Destiny 2
• Doritos Crash Course
• Dungeon Defenders II
• Enlisted
• Eternal Card Game
• Family Game Night
• Fishing Planet
• Fortnite
• Galaxy Control: Arena
• Gems of War
• Happy Wars
• Harm’s Way
• Hawken
• Hyper Scape
• Killer Instinct
• Korgan
• Minion Masters
• Neverwinter
• Outriders (Demo)
• Paladins
• Path of Exile
• Phantasy Star Online 2
• Phantom Dust
• Pinball FX2
• Prominence Poker
• Realm Royale
• Rec Room
• Resident Evil Revelations 2
• ROBLOX
• Rocket League
• Rogue Company
• Skyforge
• SMITE
• Spacelords
• Spellbreak
• Star Trek Online
• Techwars Global Conflict
• TERA
• The Four Kings Casino and Slots
• Too Human
• Trove
• Vigor
• War Thunder
• Warface
• Warframe
• World of Tanks
• World of Warships: Legends
• Yaris

Halo Infinite will also feature a free-to-play multiplayer experience when the game is released for Xbox consoles in the fall/autumn of 2021.

In January, Microsoft reversed plans to increase the price of a six-month Xbox Live Gold subscription by 50% to $60.

“We messed up today and you were right to let us know,” it said. “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. As a result, we have decided not to change Xbox Live Gold pricing.

Further reading

1

Xbox is now testing no Live Gold requirement for Warzone, Fortnite and more

Subscription won’t be needed for free-to-play games, Party Chat or Looking For Group

“We’re turning this moment into an opportunity to bring Xbox Live more in line with how we see the player at the center of their experience,” Microsoft added. “For free-to-play games, you will no longer need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play those games on Xbox.”

As well as access to online play, Xbox Live Gold offers subscribers purchase discounts and monthly free games that can be kept permanently on Xbox 360 or while a subscription remains active on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.

In 2019, Microsoft started bundling Xbox Live Gold with its Xbox Game Pass subscription service in the form of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs $14.99/£10.99 per month and features on demand gaming and access to EA Play.