Microsoft roll back Xbox Live Gold price hike after backlash from gaming community

After facing backlash from the gaming community, Microsoft on Saturday announced not to change Xbox Live Gold pricing, along with unlocking free to play games for all.

The company earlier announced to increase prices for Xbox Live Gold memberships in certain markets "in an apparent effort to convert more users to its Xbox Game Pass Ulimate", but the gaming community did not like the price hike, forcing Microsoft to roll back the move.

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"We messed up today and you were right to let us know. 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," Microsoft Xbox team said in an updated statement on Saturday.

"For free-to-play games, you will no longer need an Xbox Live Gold membership to play those games on Xbox. We are working hard to deliver this change as soon as possible in the coming months," it added.

The company said that if you are an Xbox Live Gold member, you stay at your current price for renewal. 

New and existing members can continue to enjoy Xbox Live Gold for the same prices they pay today.

"In the US, $9.99 for 1-month, $24.99 for 3-months, $39.99 for 6-months and $59.99 for retail 12-months," the Xbox team announced.

Earlier, the price hike drew backlash from the gaming community.

"@Xbox have done this in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, where kids will be most affected, where finances are tight and online gaming is their main (sometimes only) way to play and communicate with friends. Let that sink in," a Xbox user said in a tweet.

"Xbox also still remains the only platform you need a subscription to play free to play games, including Warzone," gaming news site Charlie Intel tweeted.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives access to more than 100 games, xCloud game streaming, and Xbox Live Gold.