Report: Xbox LIVE Gold being replaced with new Xbox Game Pass tier

UPDATE: Microsoft has made the announcement official. Xbox Game Pass Core will replace Xbox LIVE Gold. Read more here.

After decades of online gaming, Xbox LIVE Gold is reportedly being phased out and replaced with a new Game Pass subscription tier.

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New reports indicate that Microsoft is preparing to officially retire its Xbox LIVE Gold subscription. Starting September 14, a new Game Pass tier called Core will replace Xbox LIVE Gold, and offer some extra benefits for no additional cost.

Updated Xbox press materials reveal Xbox Game Pass Core will cost $9.99, the same price as Xbox LIVE Gold, with some new upgrades including access to a limited pool of 25 free monthly games lifted straight out of the Game Pass offering. Xbox LIVE Gold is essentially being converted into a Game Pass lite version of the subscription. The monthly Games With Gold freebies are also reportedly being removed. All games redeemed via Games With Gold will still be available.

All current Xbox LIVE Gold members will be automatically rolled into the Xbox Game Pass Core subscription. All other Xbox Game Pass subscription tiers will remain the same in terms of pricing and benefits.

The Xbox Game Pass Core lineup includes:

1. Among Us
2. Descenders
3. Dishonored 2
4. Doom Eternal
5. Fable Anniversary
6. Fallout 4
7. Fallout 76
8. Forza Horizon 4
9. Gears 5
10. Grounded
11. Halo 5: Guardians
12. Halo Wars 2
13. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
14. Human Fall Flat
15. INSIDE
16. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
17. Psychonauts 2
18. State of Decay 2
19. The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

Microsoft is expected to rotate games in and out of this 25-game selection offered with the Core subscription.

This adjustment follows a price hike on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $14.99 a month to $16.99 a month, and follows what could be a new phase shift for the Xbox Game Pass subscription model.