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In a sudden and unexpected move, Microsoft has removed the 12-month subscription option for the Xbox Live Gold service from the Microsoft Store. The company has gone as far as delisting the option from every territory that it was offered in.
This was initially thought to be an error on Microsoft’s part, but a company spokesperson has since reached out to TrueAchievements with a statement confirming that this was very much an intentional decision.
“At this time, Xbox has decided to remove the 12 months Xbox Live Gold SKU from the Microsoft online store,” the statement reads. “Customers can still sign up for a one month or three month Xbox Live Gold subscription online through the Microsoft Store.”
So far, no reason has been given for the removal of the year-long subscription option. As the statement says, the one-month option (priced at $9.99) and the three-month option (priced at $24.99) are still available to purchase, so there is no need to worry if you’re planning to renew or top up your subscription anytime soon. You can also still purchase a 12-month subscription from third-parties.
This decision may be a hint that the Xbox Live Gold service could be phased out in the near future. This is, of course, just speculation, but the fact that Microsoft’s Xbox Series X conference will air later this week (July 23, 9am Pacific / 12pm Eastern) could indicate an overhaul of sorts for the Xbox Live Gold service is currently in the works.
Microsoft’s new system, the Xbox Series X, was revealed earlier this year and is expected to launch in late 2020. You can catch a rundown of the system’s specs, load times, and more here. Last week, Microsoft announced that production for both the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital has now ceased, with only the Xbox One S currently still being manufactured and sold.
