Microsoft will no longer offer Xbox 360 games via Games with Gold

By Joseph Yaden July 5, 2022

Microsoft will discontinue Xbox 360 games from its Games with Gold service starting in October 2022. This news comes by way of an email from Microsoft, which was translated by Twitter user Wario64.

Following the removal of Xbox 360 games from Games with Gold, Microsoft will continue to add Xbox One titles for the foreseeable future. The email from Microsoft explains that the company has reached the limits of adding Xbox 360 games.

Starting in October, Xbox Games With Gold will no longer include Xbox 360 games (Microsoft has reached the limits to adding new X360 games to GWG). GWG will continue to offer Xbox One games.

Any claimed Xbox 360 GWG titles can be redownloaded regardless of membership pic.twitter.com/WHuuVniqBn

— Wario64 (@Wario64) July 5, 2022

Despite this news, Microsoft notes that any claimed Xbox 360 titles obtained through Games with Gold can still be redownloaded and, assuming the translation is correct, you don’t even need to have an active membership to continue playing these older games.

Games with Gold first began in 2013, offering a lineup of “free” games each month to Xbox Gold members, similar to PlayStation Plus. Games roll out around the beginning and middle of each month, giving players something to look forward to each month. After that, Microsoft added Xbox One titles to the mix, and eventually began including Xbox Series X games as well.

Since Xbox systems feature backward compatibility, it’s easy for players to enjoy the titles included via Games with Gold on Microsoft’s consoles, without having to bust out an older machine. You’ll also still be able to purchase Xbox 360 games through the marketplace after this change takes place, even on newer devices, thanks to backward compatibility.

The Xbox 360 launched in 2005 and Microsoft supported it until 2016. With that in mind, it’s not surprising the company will be ditching Xbox 360 titles from the Games with Gold lineup later this year.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…

Gaming

I’m secretly hoping that the leaked all-white Xbox Series X isn’t real

An Xbox Series X sits next to both Series S models.

Xbox Microsoft

Xbox’s anticipated mid-generation console refresh might be right around the corner. Over the past few weeks, there have been some rumblings that an all-white Xbox Series X may be coming this year. That rumor kicked into second gear when Exputer posted photos it says it received of the device. The leaked images show a standard Xbox Series X with a white casing. The design is about the same, but there’s one key difference: It doesn’t have a disk drive. If the rumors are proven true, that’ll be the system’s selling point, potentially putting it at a lower price point than the current Series X.

Gaming

Xbox Game Pass gets its first Activision Blizzard game very soon

xbox game pass march games diablo 4 iv

Microsoft unveiled the batch of titles coming to its gaming subscription service throughout the back half of March. Quite a few awesome titles are making their way to the service, but by far, the most notable addition is Diablo IV, the first Activision Blizzard game being made available on Xbox Game Pass.

Diablo IV was released in June 2023, just a few months before Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. It's the latest entry in a long-running isometric RPG series, and it retains the same engaging dungeon design, deep progression systems, and captivating loot loop that makes games in this franchise special. People have been wondering when Activision Blizzard games would arrive on Xbox Game Pass in the months since the acquisition process was completed, and Diablo IV was finally confirmed to be coming to the service on March 28 last month.

Gaming

After watching Dune: Part Two, go play this Xbox Game Pass title

dune spice wars xbox game pass recommendation

Dune: Part Two has taken theaters by storm after a relatively quiet start to the 2024 box office. It’s getting even more people into this franchise, which is the grandfather of a lot of modern sci-fi stories. Dune also has a more storied history with video games than you may think. If you’re in the mood to return to Arrakis and experience more entertainment set within the Dune universe, you don’t have to wait for Dune: Awakening.

There’s a Dune strategy game available right now on Xbox Game Pass across PC, consoles, and cloud called Dune: Spice Wars. If you’ve ever sunk time into strategy games or are most intrigued by the political machinations that happen in the background of Dune’s narrative, then I recommend you try out Dune: Spice Wars after watching Dune: Part Two.
Spice is life
Developed by Shiro Games and published by Funcom, Dune: Spice Wars is a 4X strategy game. For the uninitiated, 4X is an abbreviation of “explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate,” and those kinds of strategy games allow players to do those four things on a massive scale. The most mainstream 4X strategy game series is Sid Meier’s Civilization, and Dune: Spice Wars shares a lot of elements with that game. Of course, it’s set on Arrakis instead of Earth.