Update: While there are still no more details on Microsoft's next generation plans for Xbox Live Gold, late yesterday 343 Studios confirmed that Halo Infinite multiplayer will indeed be free-to-play and that the multiplayer will support up to 120 FPS on Xbox Series X.
Original Story Below
It looks like Halo Infinite's multiplayer and Xbox Live Gold may be going F2P when the Xbox Series X launches this year.
The first bit of news from Twitter, where apparently Xbox Live Gold is going away and online multiplayer will be free this upcoming generation. They will also not force players to pay for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's $14.99 per month cost either.
Xbox Live Gold is going away and playing online multiplayer will be free. They will not force you into Ultimate to play online.
— grubbsnax is back (@JeffGrubb) July 31, 2020
This news is repeated on a web archived version of the Xbox Series X's page on Smyth Toys' website, where it states that "the legendary Halo series returns with the most expansive Master Chief campaign yet and a groundbreaking free-to-play multiplayer experience." The page is updated now, removing that part, obviously, but it does seem to lend credence to Grubbs' assertion that multiplayer will be free on the next generation of Xbox's.
Either way, we'll know for sure within a few months, hopefully by the end of August. Until then, stay tuned to TechRaptor.
Quick Take
This is really interesting. I always thought the switch to paid multiplayer was one of the most successful cons ever pulled on gamers, and now it appears that that con is coming to an end. Whether this is true or not is currently up in the air, but given how driven Microsoft is to destroy Sony this generation, I think there's a more than decent chance that it's true. We'll see.
What do you think of this news? Do you think this is real or some sort of elaborate hoax/trickery? If this is true, how do you think Sony will respond? Let us know in the comments!
