Final Free Games with Gold Program Ending August 2023

Microsoft has officially confirmed the termination of the Xbox Live Gold subscription service and its associated Games with Gold program. This change, scheduled for September 2023, marks the end of a decade-long era of providing free monthly games to subscribers. The final offerings under the Games with Gold banner are the titles Blue Fire and Inertial Drift, both available for claim throughout the month of August 2023. These games represent the last opportunity for subscribers to acquire free titles through this specific service before it is replaced by Xbox Game Pass Core.

The Games with Gold program was first announced during E3 2013, initially offering free Xbox 360 games to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. The program expanded to include Xbox One games a year later. For over a decade, the service provided a rotating selection of free titles, requiring an active Xbox Live Gold membership to download and claim them. Once claimed, the games remained accessible to the user even if they subsequently allowed their subscription to lapse. While the program saw various iterations and release schedules, including occasional third-game releases during anniversary months, it consistently served as a value-add for the Gold subscription tier.

The transition away from Xbox Live Gold and Games with Gold was officially announced in July 2023. Starting September 14, 2023, Xbox Live Gold will cease to exist. It is being replaced by Xbox Game Pass Core, a new tier of Microsoft's Game Pass subscription service. This new tier will retain multiplayer access capabilities and offer a selection of more than 25 games, including titles such as Among Us, Doom Eternal, Gears 5, and Psychonauts 2. Current Xbox Live Gold subscribers will automatically be transitioned to Xbox Game Pass Core on September 14, 2023.

The Final Free Offerings: August 2023

The final month of the Games with Gold program, August 2023, features two distinct titles available to subscribers. Unlike previous months where free games were often staggered, both titles for August became available on August 1 and remain claimable until August 31.

Blue Fire * Availability: August 1 - August 31 * Genre: 3D Platformer * Description: Released in 2021, Blue Fire is a 3D platformer that blends elements of The Legend of Zelda and Dark Souls. While it received mixed reviews from critics, it offers a challenge for fans of platforming and action-adventure games. The game is priced at $19.99 ERP (Estimated Retail Price).

Inertial Drift * Availability: August 1 - August 31 * Genre: Arcade Racer * Description: Released in 2020, Inertial Drift is an arcade-style racing game that garnered mostly positive reviews from critics. It offers a distinct driving experience for racing enthusiasts. The game is also priced at $19.99 ERP.

Eligibility and Access

The free Games with Gold titles are available to specific subscriber groups. Users with active Xbox Live Gold memberships, excluding trial memberships and "Free Gold" weekends, are eligible to download the games during their availability periods.

Furthermore, the free games are not restricted solely to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Because Xbox Live Gold is included in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate package, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers are also able to claim these free titles. This ensures that a broader range of subscribers can access the final month's offerings.

Once a game is claimed and downloaded during the availability window, the user retains access to that game as long as they maintain an active subscription to either Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. If a user's subscription lapses, access to the downloaded Games with Gold titles is lost until the subscription is reactivated.

Transition to Xbox Game Pass Core

The discontinuation of Xbox Live Gold signals a strategic shift for Microsoft. The replacement service, Xbox Game Pass Core, will continue to provide online multiplayer access. However, the model for free games is changing. Instead of the monthly "free" game ownership model of Games with Gold, Xbox Game Pass Core will provide access to a static library of over 25 games included with the subscription.

For users who have accumulated a library of games through the Games with Gold program over the years, these titles remain accessible provided they maintain an active Game Pass Core or Ultimate subscription. The end of Games with Gold means that users will no longer receive new titles to keep each month under this specific program structure.

Historical Context and Industry Impact

The Games with Gold program was a significant component of the Xbox ecosystem for ten years. It served as a competitive counterpoint to Sony's PlayStation Plus service, which also offered free monthly games. The program evolved significantly since its 2013 debut, shifting focus from Xbox 360 titles to Xbox One and eventually Xbox Series X|S games.

Notable titles offered throughout the program's history include Dark Souls (June 2014), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (February 2017), Sniper Elite V2 (February 2015), Tropico 4 (May 2021), and Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (July 2017). The program also served as a final farewell to the Xbox 360 library; in October 2022, Microsoft announced it would stop including Xbox 360 titles in the lineup, citing that it had "reached the limit" of what it could add to the catalog. Valve's Portal 2 was the final Xbox 360 title included in the program, offered in September 2022.

The retirement of Games with Gold aligns with Microsoft's increased emphasis on the Xbox Game Pass subscription model. Xbox Game Pass has become the primary vehicle for game distribution and subscription revenue for the platform, offering day-one access to first-party titles and a vast rotating library of third-party games.

Conclusion

The Xbox Games with Gold program concludes its ten-year run with the August 2023 offerings of Blue Fire and Inertial Drift. Subscribers have until August 31 to claim these final free titles. Following the transition to Xbox Game Pass Core in September, the monthly free game ownership model will be replaced by a subscription-based game library. Users with accumulated libraries from the Games with Gold program will retain access to those titles as long as they maintain an active Game Pass Core or Ultimate subscription.