Why You No Longer Need Xbox Live Gold To Play Fortnite
You used to require an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play free-to-play games on Xbox, but that’s no longer the case.
If you’ve tried to play Fortnite without Xbox Live Gold in the past, you will have discovered that despite being free-to-play, you needed an Xbox Live Gold membership to play it.
If you have been burned this way in the past, you’ll be pleased to know that you can now play Fortnite on Xbox without an Xbox Live Gold subscription.
Which Multiplayer Games Will Be Free
Microsoft made a sweeping change across the Xbox platform, unlocking multiplayer across all free-to-play content on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. That includes many of todays best Xbox games, including Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Apex Legends. Other highlights include Destiny 2, Hyper Scape, ROBLOX, SMITE, Warframe, and World of Tanks, to name a few. Future titles that launch for free on Xbox consoles will come with the same exemption from Xbox Live Gold restrictions. Heres the full list of free-to-play titles that dont require Xbox Live Gold on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S:
- 3on3 FreeStyle
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When Will These Xbox Live Gold Changes Arrive
The new changes to Xbox Live Gold are now rolling out on Xbox consoles. Following the change, free-to-play multiplayer games are now playable on any account with or without an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Some titles, like Call of Duty: Warzone and Destiny 2, issued mandatory updates related to the change, which must be installed before accessing free-to-play multiplayer. The release follows what looked to be a somewhat reactionary announcement in January, with several weeks of testing through the Xbox Insider Program.
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Xbox Is Now Testing No Live Gold Requirement For Warzone Fortnite And More
Were 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.
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Xbox Owners Can Finally Hop Online In Free
Xbox Live Gold is no longer required to access online multiplayer in free-to-play titles on Xbox platforms.
Earlier this year, Microsoft said it would stop forcing users to purchase Xbox Live Gold in order to play free-to-play titles online, acknowledging that it essentially made the games anything but free-to-play.
It didn’t specify when the change would be made, but quietly began removing the Gold paywall from a select few titles earlier this month through its Xbox Insiders program.
Now, the company has liberated the rest of Xbox’s free-to-play library in one fell swoop, and confirmed all Xbox players can now play over 50 freemium titles online without having to pay for Xbox Live Gold.
The Xbox free-to-play roster includes games like Apex Legends, Fortnite, Rocket League, DC Universe Online, Destiny 2, Roblox, World of Tanks, and more. Microsoft has also made other Gold-restricted features like Party Chat and Looking 4 Groups freely accessible.
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Free Xbox Games Without Gold
While the aforementioned games are arguably the biggest free Xbox games without Gold, there are many others available to play. Here is the full list of free Xbox games that do not require Gold. Please note that this list will evolve over time, as new free-to-play games will be added occasionally.
- 3on3 FreeStyle
- Dead or Alive 5 Last Round: Core Fighters
- Dead or Alive 6: Core Fighters
- Defiance 2050
- The Four Kings Casino and Slots
- Too Human
Which Games Can You Play Without Xbox Live Gold
Over time, Microsoft continues to make more games available without the Xbox Live Gold membership. This means that players can access multiplayer games for free.
Among the games you can play for free include Apex Legends, Armored Welfare, Call of Duty: Warzone, Dauntless, Crossout, Crimson Alliance, Dauntless, and Darwin Project. The list of games is updated on the Xbox Website, and it displays whether the games are free or requires a Microsoft Store subscription.
However, while most of these games are free, some features will require a subscription. These include the demo games requiring a trial license version, preorder or purchase, and an early access edition.
Besides playing games for free, you can also play some games without an internet connection. However, this feature is limited, with only the single-player games performing well. While doing this, it is advisable to leave your console settings online to enable you to reconnect as soon as your ISP sorts out your internet problem.
You may also need to plan ahead in some instances to avoid error messages from games that are not working. Among the games you can play without an internet connection include Fallout 4, Destiny 2, and Batman: Arkham Knight.
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Xbox Live Vs Xbox Live Gold
The difference between Xbox Live and Xbox Live Gold is that the former is a free online gaming service while the latter is also an online gaming service but is paid and is required to play online multiplayer games if you have any Xbox Console.
Xbox Live was launched on November 15, 2002, and was made available to the gaming consoles by Microsoft. It is used to store Online Games, data, and other services. Further from 2007, the service was integrated with Windows, and all the Windows computers now come with an Xbox Application.
The same sort of Xbox Network, online gaming services, also comes as a subscription and also includes online multiplayer games. The subscribers also get a few extra games and services by Xbox and are eligible for future advancements and Members-only games and features.
Main Differences Between Xbox Live And Xbox Live Gold
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You Need Xbox Live Gold For Multiplayer Gaming
If you want to play online multiplayer on your Xbox One or Xbox 360, you will need Xbox Live Gold. Your subscription also enables access to the party system and voice chat. If you try to use the online mutiplayer features within games without Xbox Live Gold, youll be stopped in your tracks and told you need Xbox Live Gold to continue.
This service isnt necessary for playing single-player games, and it isnt required when playing multiplayer games offline. For example, you dont need to pay anything to play a split-screen game with two people in the same room on the same console.
Xbox Live Gold also isnt required if you want to watch Netflix and Hulu, or use other media-streaming apps. For example, In the Xbox 360 daysand even when the Xbox One launchedyou needed to pay both the Netflix subscription fee and the Xbox Live Gold subscription fee just to watch Netflix on your Xbox One, but Microsoft changed this. Xbox Live Gold is now only useful to gamers.
What Happens When You Lose Xbox Live Gold On Xbox One
If you lost access to Xbox Live Gold on Xbox One, you might be in for some trouble. Here’s a look at what you can expect when your Gold has expired.
- You get to keep your Xbox 360 Xbox Live Gold games
- You can no longer play your Xbox One Xbox Live Gold games
- The majority of your Xbox 360 and Xbox One apps will still function without Xbox Live Gold
- Online play will be extremely limited with no Xbox Live Gold membership
- Xbox consoles will still be online after canceling Xbox Live Gold
Xbox Live Gold is a popular subscription service available on Microsofts Xbox 360 and Xbox One videogame consoles. Pricing varies by region but generally average around US$7 per month depending on the plan chosen.
Originally, an Xbox Live Gold membership was required to enjoy almost all online services on the Xbox 360 but soon after the arrival of the newer Xbox One console the plan evolved slightly and now media streaming is available to free members as well.
The evolution of Xbox Live Gold hasnt really affected continuing members all that much but for those who may be considering taking a break from the service due to travel plans or a need to save money, many wonder how exactly their console will be affected and what they will lose once their Xbox Live Gold membership is cancelled. Here is what happens.
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Do You Need Ps Plus To Play Warzone
Well tackle PlayStation first because its the more simple of the two. Warzone players playing on PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 do not need an active PS Plus subscription to be able to play the CoD battle royale game.
The subscription costs £50/$60 for a 12-month period, but is not necessary for free-to-play titles. For example, players wanting to play multiplayer will require an active subscription. Players who only want to play Warzone will not need to pay this annual fee.
Xbox Live Gold: Price And Availability
Xbox Live Gold is available as a monthly subscription for $9.99 per month in the U.S. and over 40 additional territories. It’s also available in upfront installments for savings on the usual monthly rate, priced at $24.99 for three months, $39.99 for six months. Xbox Live Gold is available through a 12-month prepaid membership for $59.99 via third-party retailers like Amazon, GameStop, and Walmart, although no longer through Microsoft. This tiered pricing structure makes it better to purchase Xbox Live Gold in bulk upfront, over the monthly fee.
Microsoft’s all-inclusive Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription includes Xbox Live Gold, too, coupled with Xbox Game Pass for console and PC, cloud gaming on mobile, and other perks like EA Play. The subscription is available for a flat $14.99 monthly rate in the U.S.
While Microsoft outlined plans to increase Xbox Live Gold pricing back in January 2021, it later reversed the decision following widespread backlash.
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Is Xbox Live Gold Different From Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Live Gold gives you access to multiplayer modes in games on Xbox One and Xbox 360, while Xbox Game Pass gives you access to a large library of games to play on PC.
Xbox Live Gold is mandatory if you want to play any multiplayer mode on Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Xbox Live Gold costs 9.99$ per month, while Xbox Game Pass costs start from 4.99$ per month.
All 67 Xbox Games You Can Now Play Online For Free
Xbox users no longer require an Xbox Live Gold membership for free-to-play titles, and these are the games that players can now enjoy without a sub.
Xbox users can now play free-to-play games without an Xbox Live Gold subscription, which means that 67 titles can now be enjoyed by all Xbox owners. There are numerous video games that have a freemium model, where it’s free-to-play and the developers make money on optional extras like costumes and battle passes.
The issue with freemium games is that the console developers require paid subscriptions for their online multiplayer modes. Nintendo has Nintendo Switch Online, Sony has PlayStation Plus, and Microsoft has Xbox Live Gold. Freemium games can still be played for free on consoles, as well as separate subscription-based games, like Final Fantasy 14. As such, the people who enjoy these games exclusively don’t need online subscriptions on consoles. The only exception to this until today was Microsoft, which required an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play free-to-play games online. This was a major blow against the Xbox brand, as it meant that some incredibly popular games required a subscription on one line of consoles, but not on the others.
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Is Xbox Live Gold Required To Play Forza Horizon 4 Pc
You do not need Xbox Live Gold to play Forza Horizon 4 on PC both single-player and multiplayer modes in Forza Horizon 4 PC are playable without Xbox Live Gold.
Forza Horizon 4 has multiple game modes with both single and multiplayer abilities.
So if you want to have a relaxing game against AI players, then the single-player mode is for you. But if you want to play against real people in multiplayer modes, you need Xbox Live Gold to access these modes.
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What Is Xbox All Access
Xbox All Access is a monthly installment payment option for a new Xbox Series S or X. Customers can sign up for the plan to pay $35 a month for an Xbox Series X or $25 a month for an Xbox Series S. Both plans include 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. There are no upfront fees and 0% APR. Best Buy, GameStop, Microsoft Store, Target and Walmart are all participants in the program, however, the trick is to sign up when consoles are available. If youre still on the hunt for an Xbox Series X or S, will have the latest restock updates for you.
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Xbox Live Gold Is No Longer Required To Play Free
It’s official: you no longer need an Xbox Live Gold account in order to play online multiplayer in free-to-play titles on Xbox consoles.
Today, Microsoft is making online multiplayer in free-to-play games available on Xbox without an Xbox Live Gold membership.
So, as of now, 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.
The games that are now free-to-play online without Gold are listed below, and more will be added over time.
- 3on3 FreeStyle
- Dead or Alive 5 Last Round: Core Fighters
- Dead or Alive 6: Core Fighters
- Defiance 2050
- The Four Kings Casino and Slots
- Too Human
- World of Warships: Legends
- Yaris
Xbox Live Gold Review:
Xbox Live Gold Subscription
Bottom line: Xbox Live Gold remains a staple essential when using Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S online unless exclusively tied up in free-to-play titles. The value in the subscription comes entirely from its multiplayer perks, with Gold-exclusive rewards on the decline in 2021.
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Do You Need Xbox Live Gold To Play Minecraft On Xbox One
Minecraft for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One supports cross-platform multiplayer with these platforms: Windows 10, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, iOS, Android, Gear VR, Oculus Rift, Amazon Fire and Fire TV. Cross-play requires Microsoft account. Xbox Live Gold required for online multiplayer on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
You Can Now Play Fortnite On Your Xbox With Or Without Xbox Live Gold
People without Xbox Live Gold memberships used to be locked out of online free-to-play games, despite the games themselves being free. However, Microsoft has changed its stance, likely because of competition from its rival consoles.
So, if you own an Xbox and have never played Fortnite, now is a good time to give it a shot. It can be a little overwhelming at first, so be sure to read up on the controls and best practices before you hop in.
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Do You Need Xbox Live To Play Forza Horizon 4 On Pc
- Post author
Do you want to live the Horizon Life when you play Forza Horizon 4? Experience dynamic seasons and beautiful scenery all the while collecting over 450 cars to become a Horizon Superstar in historic Britain.
If any of this sounds like your standard afternoon, then Forza Horizon 4 has got you covered, and it can be yours for as low as $4.99/pm with Xboxs new subscription model known as Xbox Game Pass. But do you also need Xbox Live Gold along with it to play Forza Horizon 4 PC? Read on to find out.
