Xbox Live is no more: Microsoft renames it ‘Xbox Network’

Microsoft’s strategy for its current generation of consoles, the Xbox Series X | S, differs from his approach in the past. While the sale of consoles so far has involved exclusive games and content, Microsoft is taking a more service-based approach this time around. Game Pass, a subscription service similar to Netflix, is the crown jewel of his offerings, and Microsoft hopes that its xCloud, which allows you to play high-end games on your phone, will be a blessing.

So with a change of strategy comes a change of brand. Xbox Live is no more, as Microsoft quietly renamed its online service ‘Xbox Network’ over the weekend.

Xbox Live was what Microsoft called the console’s online platform, which includes the ability to communicate with friends, download games, and more. Xbox Live Gold, a subscription service that allows you to play games online, will be named as such.

“Xbox network” refers to the underlying Xbox online service updated in the Microsoft service agreement, “a Microsoft spokesman told CNET in a statement. “The upgrade from ‘Xbox Live’ to ‘Xbox Network’ is intended to differentiate the underlying service from Xbox Live Gold memberships.”

It may seem like a small, cosmetic change, but it’s one that has been making Xbox gamers feel for years. Xbox Live has been around since 2002 and started on the original Xbox before being updated for each subsequent console. Others have noted that the name change is likely to be a sign of extended online services.