Microsoft plans to remove Xbox 360 games from its monthly free games offer starting in October. The software manufacturer has begun sending an email to Xbox Live Gold subscribers to warn them of the change, stating that the company has “maxed out our ability to bring Xbox 360 games to its free catalog.”
Free games are a monthly benefit for Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Microsoft hands select free games every month for players, and all Xbox 360 games can be played on the latest Microsoft Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles.
Microsoft’s backward compatibility program for Xbox came a while ago with 76 new games last year, but the company explained that it “maxed out our ability to bring new games into the catalog from the past due to licensing, legal and technical limitations”. This would explain why it has now reached its limit for free titles, because it will not be able to fetch them on the latest platforms.
If you previously downloaded or redeemed Xbox 360 games with a subscription, this change will not affect those titles. It just means that as of October 1, Microsoft will not be adding any additional Xbox 360 games to the list of free games.
Although the Xbox Game Pass has become the indispensable subscription for Xbox owners, Xbox Live Gold is still very popular. Microsoft tried to double the cost of an annual subscription to the service last year, but after a backlash, the company reversed course, even scrapping the Xbox Live Gold requirement to play online for free games.
Xbox 360 won’t get any more free games
Xbox Live Gold also offers monthly discounts for the Microsoft Store, but most basic subscription features are now free for all modern Xbox owners. However, you’ll still need an Xbox Live subscription for the 360 device. For the future of Live Gold, Microsoft started moving away from the “Live” brand last year, now referring to its suite of software and services as the Xbox Network.
