Microsoft’s Rumored Game Pass Decision a Franchise First for Call of Duty

Although Activsion still hasn’t revealed this year’s installment in its popular Call of Duty franchise, new rumors suggest we’re getting a brand-new Black Ops game developed by Treyarch. As we get closer to the upcoming Call of Duty reveal at the Xbox Showcase, we now have some big changes to the game’s launch plan.

According to new reports, the upcoming Call of Duty will be released on Game Pass. Previously, reports suggested that Mircosoft wasn’t sure if it wanted to release the 2024 Call of Duty as a day one Xbox Game Pass title, as it could hurt the game’s sales. However, it seems like Mircosoft would do anything to boost its popular Game Pass subscription service.

It’s a known fact that one of the biggest reasons behind Microsoft’s acquisition of Activsion was to bolster Xbox’s Game Pass subscription service. Getting Activision on the board wasn’t just about securing a range of classic titles for the Xbox Game Pass library but also locking in the company’s future releases for the subscription service.

Undoubtedly, Activsion’s crown jewel is the Call of Duty franchise, and so many gamers assumed that with Mircosoft’s acquisition, the franchise would soon see day one releases on Xbox Game Pass. Many others were against this, as it would completely obliterate CoD‘s sales figures.

However, a new report by The Wall Street Journal has finally ended the heated debate. It has been confirmed that the upcoming CoD game will be a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass. The report reveals that Mircosoft will confirm the upcoming CoD game as a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass on June 9th at the much-anticipated Xbox Games Showcase.

While you might think it’s just another game for Xbox Game Pass, it marks a significant change in Mircsoft’s approach with its acquired studios. This is the first time we’ve ever seen a CoD game get a day-one release on any subscription service. Who knows if Microsoft will restrict the CoD franchise to Xbox in the future and make it console-exclusive? The game’s day-one release might hurt the sales figures, but it’s a great move by the company to pull even more gamers to its subscription service.  

It’s already been confirmed that a special event will take place right after the Xbox Games Showcase on June 9th, 2024. This will be centered around the Call of Duty franchise and finally reveal the upcoming game. Considering the attention CoD is getting for this year’s Xbox Games Showcase, it makes a lot of sense for Mircosoft to ensure that the title will be a day-one release to gain gamers’ attention.

While it’s disappointing that Microsoft is bent on increasing the price of the Xbox Game Pass subscription, a significant addition like Call of Duty could justify it. Treyarch’s upcoming CoD game is all set to be a brand-new entry into the popular Black Ops series.