The Call of Duty series could finally be coming to Xbox Game Pass, but there may be a catch that frustrates players. Ever since Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard, Xbox players have assumed it would mean the arrival of the long-running shooter franchise as part of its Game Pass roster, as it would be a huge selling point for the subscription, which is already considered one of the better deals in gaming with over 100 titles including most genres – with 25 critically acclaimed titles on the Xbox Core subscription tier that replaced Xbox Live Gold – but this has yet to materialize.
A report by The Verge followed Microsoft’s shocking closure of several recently acquired studios and addressed some of the “tough decisions” being made, addressing an internal debate surrounding the Call of Duty series’ inclusion on Game Pass. Reportedly, this discussion has been going on for “quite some time” with those who oppose the idea arguing that the potential revenue that newer Call of Duty installments could generate would be “undermined” by a Game Pass release. The report then stated that Microsoft had contemplated a price hike for Game Pass Ultimate, theorizing that this could potentially offset some of the revenue that could have been lost by launching a Call of Duty title on Game Pass.
Last year’s Call of Duty release, Modern Warfare 3, came mere weeks after Microsoft completed its $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard. Therefore, despite the plans to acquire the studio being known since 2022, it was likely too soon after to announce a day one Game Pass release, especially as many fans had likely pre-ordered by then and Activision wouldn’t want to risk losing that revenue. This year, however, Microsoft could announce the first new Call of Duty title to launch on Game Pass as part of its June 9 Showcase or the [REDACTED] Direct that directly follows it.
On April 30, Xbox announced the [REDACTED] Direct with an image that resembled the Call of Duty: Black Ops series, leading to plenty of speculation that fans could get a first glimpse at a new Black Ops game following several leaks and rumors that the next entry in the series would take place during the Gulf War. If Microsoft were to choose an event to announce Call of Duty‘s arrival on Game Pass, this would be the one. If anything, following the word of this internal debate, such an omission would make it clear that those opposed to a day-one addition of Call of Duty titles to the subscription have won.
If Microsoft does use the inclusion of the shooter series as a way to increase Xbox Game Pass‘ subscription rate, however, this could frustrate fans who are already heavily scrutinizing the company’s business decisions as of late, especially those subscribers who are less bothered about playing Call of Duty, as the subscription does often cater to fans of all types of genres.
Source: The Verge