Editing Xbox network (section)

===Rebranding===
On January 22, 2021, Microsoft planned to increase the prices for the Xbox Live Gold subscriptions, as follows: by $1 for the monthly subscription ($10.99 from $9.99), by $5 for the 3-month subscription ($29.99 from $24.99), by $20 for the 6-month subscription ($59.99 from $39.99), and by $60 (double the price) for the 12-month subscription ($119.99 from $59.99). However, the 6-month and 12-month subscription price increases would not affect existing subscribers when they resubscribed at the same level, nor those already subscribed through the Xbox Games Pass Ultimate program.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/22/22244173/microsoft-xbox-live-gold-price-increase-pricing | title = Microsoft is increasing the price of Xbox Live Gold | first = Tom | last = Warren | date = January 22, 2021 | access-date = January 22, 2021 | work = [[The Verge]] | archive-date = February 7, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220207065810/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/22/22244173/microsoft-xbox-live-gold-price-increase-pricing | url-status = live }}</ref> However, after complaints from the Xbox community, Microsoft made an announcement on the same day that they revoked their decision, and that they would not increase the prices of any of the subscriptions, thus they would remain the same as they were.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/23/22245630/microsoft-xbox-live-gold-price-increase-reversed-f2p | title = Microsoft backtracks on Xbox Live Gold price hike | first = Sam | last = Byford | date = January 22, 2021 | access-date = January 21, 2021 | work = [[The Verge]] | archive-date = December 13, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211213155506/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/23/22245630/microsoft-xbox-live-gold-price-increase-reversed-f2p | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/01/22/update-on-xbox-live-gold-pricing/|title=No Changes to Xbox Live Gold Pricing, Free-to-Play Games to be Unlocked &#91;Update&#93;|date=January 22, 2021|access-date=April 5, 2022|archive-date=April 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406152908/https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/01/22/update-on-xbox-live-gold-pricing/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Microsoft officially announced that they would be branding Xbox Live as "Xbox network" in March 2021 as to cover all the services related to Xbox and not just Xbox Live. Xbox Live Gold would remain the same name and to distinguish the subscription program from the set of services. Microsoft also stated that with this, it would eliminate the requirement to have Xbox Live Gold to play free-to-play games on Xbox consoles.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/22/22345276/microsoft-xbox-live-network-rebrand-name-change | title = Microsoft rebrands Xbox Live to Xbox network | first = Tom | last = Warren | date = March 22, 2021 | access-date = March 22, 2021 | work = [[The Verge]] | archive-date = May 17, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210517220803/https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/22/22345276/microsoft-xbox-live-network-rebrand-name-change | url-status = live }}</ref>

By January 2021, Microsoft reported that there were more than 100 million Xbox users (including those through the Xbox Game Pass subscription).<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/26/22250795/xbox-game-pass-subscribers-growth-microsoft | title = Xbox Game Pass subscribers hit 18 million | first = Tom | last = Warren | date = November 6, 2021 | work = [[The Verge]] | access-date = November 6, 2021 | archive-date = January 18, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220118144101/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/26/22250795/xbox-game-pass-subscribers-growth-microsoft | url-status = live }}</ref>