If you've tried to play Fortnite without Xbox Live Gold in the past, you will have discovered that despite being free-to-play, you needed an Xbox Live Gold membership to play it.

If you have been burned this way in the past, you'll be pleased to know that you can now play Fortnite (and a host of other free-to-play games) on Xbox without an Xbox Live Gold subscription.

How Can You Play Fortnite Without Xbox Live Gold?

You previously needed an active Xbox Live Gold subscription to play Fortnite, as well as a range of other free-to-play games, online, on your Xbox. This is because you needed a subscription to use online multiplayer features on the Xbox network, even for games that are free to play.

This was, suffice to say, rather silly. Especially when Microsoft's console rivals, Sony and Nintendo, both let you play free-to-play games online without paying for the privilege.

Both of these companies have Fortnite on their consoles, both of them have a paid-for online multiplayer service, and yet both of them allowed people without memberships to play Fortnite online.

Which is probably why Microsoft finally relented and allowed people to play free-to-play games without Xbox Live Gold. Yes, that means all free-to-play games are available without an Xbox Live Gold subscription, not just Fortnite.

This move is just one of many boons for free players. For instance, you can now also use Xbox Party Chat without a membership, meaning you can talk online for free.

You Can Now Play Fortnite on Your Xbox, With or Without Xbox Live Gold

People without Xbox Live Gold memberships used to be locked out of online free-to-play games, despite the games themselves being free. However, Microsoft has changed its stance, likely because of competition from its rival consoles.

So, if you own an Xbox and have never played Fortnite, now is a good time to give it a shot. It can be a little overwhelming at first, so be sure to read up on the controls and best practices before you hop in.