If I want to connect to the server in Minecraft, do I have to join xbox live gold?

If you are playing on Xbox console hardware

yes

Dear Temiloluwa Akinyemi

Thank you for posting in the Microsoft community.

I would like to know what platform or game you are trying to add multiplayer to.

Below you will find the usual settings for adding multiplayer to XBOX or Minecraft.

To enable multiplayer in an Xbox game, follow these steps:

Make sure you have an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Most multiplayer games on Xbox require an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online with others.

Start the game you want to play multiplayer in.

Look for an option in the game's main menu or settings that allows you to select multiplayer mode or join an online game.

If prompted, sign in to your Xbox Live account.

Follow the on-screen instructions to join a multiplayer game or create a party with friends.

Once you are in a multiplayer game, you can invite friends to join you or join a game with random players.

Enjoy playing with others online in multiplayer mode.

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To enable multiplayer in Minecraft, follow these steps:

Launch Minecraft on your Xbox console.

Make sure you are signed in to your Xbox Live account.

From the main menu, select "Play" and then choose the world you want to play in.

Once in the world, press the Start button on your controller to open the in-game menu.

Select "Invite to Game" to invite friends to join your world or select "Friends" to see a list of your friends who are currently online and invite them to join.

You can also choose to join a friend's world by selecting "Join Friends" from the main menu.

If you want to join a public multiplayer server, select "Servers" from the main menu and browse the list of available servers to join.

Enjoy playing Minecraft with friends in multiplayer mode!

Best wishes

Shawn Z | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hey DHRUV, sorry you're having trouble joining the Minecraft server. I understand how disruptive that can be. I'm here to help you in any way that I can.

Are you playing on Xbox or PC?

When you try to join the server, do you see an error message?

This could be due to several reasons, like server maintenance, incorrect server details, or connection issues. Double-check that you’re using the correct IP address and port for the server. If the server is online and your connection is stable, you may also want to try restarting Minecraft or your router to see if that helps.

If the problem persists, check for any announcements from the server admins about outages or maintenance.

I hope this is helpful information for you. If you still have questions, feel free to ask here.

Thanks for the reply. All of the above are in order. I have 10mbps download and 6mbps upload. I have an open nat and no error messages. I am connected to xbox live but when i want to join the official server on ark it still say cant retrieve address and
then i have to try again. I have been trying to connect for 3hours now and still cant join or get in the server. Is this an xbox issue or is it an ark issue. Appreciate the assistance and info..

I'm doing the connecting over Xbox live, his server just shows up under friends and I click it to join.