Recent reports indicate that Microsoft executives have been debating for some time whether to put the new Call of Duty game on Game Pass on day one (i.e. launch day). This seems like something Microsoft should have thought about before spending $68.7 billion to acquire CoD publisher Activision Blizzard, but it seems Microsoft has finally made a decision.according to wall street journalthe company will indeed bring the next Call of Duty game directly to Game Pass when it launches later this year.
Doing so could mean Microsoft would be left with hundreds of millions of dollars in game sales, since Call of Duty is one of the best-selling games of the year every year it releases. However, the company has recently been working to significantly increase Game Pass subscriptions.
Launching a new Call of Duty game there is sure to bring in new members. Microsoft will still sell CoD games through in-game purchases, other platforms (Microsoft agreed to release CoD games on PlayStation, Nintendo and other platforms for at least ten years after the Activision deal closes) and those who prefer to play directly on Xbox. Overall, Xbox-owned games sell well on PlayStation. There’s always the possibility that Microsoft could raise the price of Game Pass to offset some of the revenue it might lose from lower sales of the next Call of Duty game on Xbox and PC.
Before Microsoft’s acquisition, Activision Blizzard had largely shied away from the idea of making its games available on subscription services. While Call of Duty games have been released on platforms like PlayStation Plus in the past, this usually happened several years after the game’s initial release.
After Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard late last year, Microsoft said it would take some time for the publisher’s games to start showing up on Game Pass.So far, only Diablo 4 Already joined the service.
The launch of a new Call of Duty game on the subscription service on day one marks a significant change in strategy, though it falls in line with recent comments from Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer. “Our intention is that the complete portfolio of games from ZeniMax, Activision Blizzard and XGS (Xbox Game Studios) will be available on Game Pass on day one,” Spencer said game files In February. Xbox fans will also be happy to know that the long-standing practice of putting all first-party Microsoft releases on Game Pass will likely continue.
We’ll likely learn more about Microsoft’s plans for Call of Duty and other Activision games when it comes to its annual Game Pass reveal on June 9. It’s generally believed to be CoD.
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