Xbox 360 titles will no longer be included in the Xbox Games with Gold lineup starting this October, Microsoft recently confirmed.
The Games with Gold program dates back to 2013, launching as a response to Sony’s PS Plus offerings. Both services allow their respective Gold and Plus members to download a selection of free games every month.
Xbox players with Gold subscriptions can currently count on receiving four freebies per month – two Xbox One titles and two adventures from the 360 era.
Given the exponential growth of Microsoft’s Game Pass service, however, many wonder how long the publisher will continue to support Games with Gold.
Xbox 360 is getting the boot from Games with Gold
According to VGC, Microsoft recently sent emails informing Gold subscribers that as of October 1, 2022, “the monthly games provided to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Live Gold members via Games with Gold will no longer include Xbox 360 titles.”
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The reasoning behind the move centers on the company’s inability to further support Games with Gold with classic 360 experiences. Upon confirming the news to VGC, a Microsoft spokesperson explained, “We have reached the limit of our ability to bring new games to the catalog from the past due to licensing and technical constraints.”
Subscribers can still expect Xbox to furnish its Games with Gold program with Xbox One adventures, however.
Players can rest assured that regardless of their Gold membership status, they’ll still be able to access previously redeemed 360 titles from Games with Gold.
As of writing, though, there’s no word on whether Microsoft will supplement the loss of Xbox 360 games in October with additional Xbox One titles. That much and more should become clear once the service shifts into the new era this fall.