Xbox party chat will no longer require Xbox Live Gold Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Xbox party chat will no longer require Xbox Live Gold When paywall also drops for free-to-play games. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 25 Mar 2021 36 comments Xbox Live Gold will soon no longer be required to use party chat. Microsoft will drop the subscription requirement at the same time as it also removes the need for Xbox Live Gold to play online free-to-play games such as Fortnite and Rocket League. Watch on YouTube We knew about that latter part already, after a dramatic U-turn from Microsoft over a Xbox Live Gold price hike. That discussion prompted fierce criticism over the fact Microsoft continued to place games like Fortnite behind a paywall, in contrast to the situation on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms - something it then announced it would drop. Now, Xbox has confirmed its upcoming changes will go further than expected. Writing on Twitter last night, Microsoft's Brad Rossetti revealed that certain Xbox preview programme members would no longer need Xbox Live Gold for "multiplayer in Free-to-play games, Looking 4 Groups and Party Chat". These changes are currently being tested ahead of a full public rollout in the near future. Xbox Insiders in Alpha Skip Ahead & Alpha today we are flighting some new features. Multiplayer in Free-to-play games, Looking 4 Groups and Party Chat on Xbox no longer requires an Xbox Live Gold membership as we flight and test these service changes ahead of general availability- Brad Rossetti (@WorkWombatman) March 24, 2021 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings While it didn't receive the uproar that paying to play free-to-play games online did, the fact Xbox players were still paying for party chat in the age of Discord and cross-platform play with PC also seems very outdated. And speaking of Discord? Well, these changes would certainly bring Xbox more in line for any kind of future integration with the service - should those $10bn acquisition talks end up going anywhere. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store