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Microsoft is renaming Xbox Live to Xbox Network. Instances of the new branding have recently started appearing in the Xbox Dashboard for beta testers, with clips uploaded to the “Xbox Network” instead of Xbox Live. Microsoft has now confirmed the name change.
“The term ‘Xbox Network’ refers to the underlying Xbox online service, which has been updated in the Microsoft Services Agreement,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to The edge. “The purpose of updating ‘Xbox Live’ to ‘Xbox network’ is to distinguish the underlying service from Xbox Live Gold subscriptions.”
Microsoft has been using Xbox Live to refer to its underlying Xbox service since its initial launch 18 years ago. Larry Hryb, better known as Major Nelson, has been known for years as “Major Nelson of Xbox Live”, but Hryb now refers to himself as “Major Nelson of Xbox”.
Hints of a name change originally emerged in August, after Microsoft updated its services contract. At the time, Microsoft said it was not renaming the service and had no plans to shut down Xbox Live Gold. Instead, Microsoft announced a price hike for Xbox Live Gold which the company was forced to quickly reverse.
Microsoft now plans to remove the subscription requirement for free games on its Xbox network in the coming months. Games like Fortnite will no longer require Xbox Live Gold as a result, but Microsoft has yet to confirm exactly when the paywall will be removed.
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