How Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo advertise online multiplayer as something that their subscription services provides is laughable. Even with all of the so called "free games" that some of these subscriptions provide to players. These corporations know without a doubt that online multiplayer and our addiction to the online games that we love is the most valuable thing locked behind the paywall for these subscriptions. They block their console users from online because apparently they can, and then charge these same users to lift the barrier that they put there. When it is your purchased EA game that is on the console, your internet provider, and EA's servers that are delivering the Battlefield experience.
You can't play Battlefield 2042 on Xbox without a Live subscription because even though the truth is out there. The majority of people using the platform don't mind paying for the subscription. So you have to as well as subscription services to access online multiplayer for most games on consoles has become the standard for over the last 20 years.
I used to tell myself paying $60 a year for PlayStation and Xbox multiplayer is worth it, because it provided a cheat free online gaming experience.
Then crossplay with PC came along and now we're paying $60 a year to play with cheaters.
