Xbox 360 Marketplace not closing in May, says Microsoft

Following the latest wave of upcoming Xbox 360 delistings, it appears that we could see a full closure of the Xbox 360 Marketplace in a few months — store metadata suggests that a total shutdown could happen in May. [updated]

Update:
Microsoft has now confirmed to Gematsu that the Xbox 360 Marketplace will not close in May and that the message posted was “in error.”

A Microsoft spokesperson said: “This message was posted in error, and we can confirm the Xbox 360 marketplace will not close in May 2023. As a reminder, beginning on February 7th, 2023, a limited set of games, add-ons, and in-game content will no longer be purchasable in select markets via the Xbox 360 Store.”

Original Story:
Microsoft shared a list of Xbox 360 game delistings earlier this week, with regional lists differing quite considerably. But based on metadata found in the site, it appears this could be a much wider issue than previously announced. “We will be closing the Xbox 360 Marketplace over the next year, so we encourage you to purchase any 360 games or DLC by May 20th,” read a line in the support page’s metadata, which has seemingly quickly been removed, and while this information is and was not displayed anywhere obviously visible, it could potentially spell the end for at least the browser 360 store if accurate, if not the console one as well.

Xbox 360 Marketplace potentially set to close in May

We’re still trying to figure this situation out ourselves at the moment and will naturally keep you posted once we learn more, but it appears that a full 360 Marketplace closure could be on the cards, whether that be just the web version or the console store as well. Code that once suggested the upcoming closure has since been removed (in a matter of minutes, in fact) but you have to wonder why it existed in the first place if it isn’t accurate.

This story is still developing and we’ll bring you more as soon as we work out what the heck is actually going on here, but the future isn’t looking bright for the poor 360. What do you make of all this? Let us know!