Call of Duty heading to Xbox Games Pass once felt like a sure thing after Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard in a landmark deal. However, a recent report puts those hopes in question.
In February, Xbox head Phil Spencer expressed interest in bringing Call of Duty to Game Pass. Diablo 4 became the first Activision Blizzard title to join the service on March 28. All eyes shifted to Call of Duty, as the next title is rumored to release in early November. Like other day-one releases some Xbox players expect that it will be available on launch day with a Game Pass subscription, but that might not be the case.
The Verge reported, “Microsoft has also had internal debates about whether to put new releases of Call of Duty into Game Pass,” Tom Warren claimed. “This is a debate that has been ongoing internally for quite some time, with concerns from some that the revenue that Call of Duty typically generates for Activision Blizzard will be undermined by Game Pass.”
Playing games on day one requires an Ultimate Game Pass subscription, which costs $16.99 monthly. Call of Duty games typically cost $69.99 or $99.99, depending on which version you purchase. But a a price increase for Game Pass could also be in the cards, as The Verge also reports that Microsoft has “considered increasing the price of Game Pass Ultimate again.”
The report did not mention if previous Call of Duty titles will get added to Game Pass, but the future isn’t as certain as it once seemed to be.
If it went through, the price hike would arrive amid a contentious time for Microsoft and Xbox as a platform. The publisher recently shut down several studios, including Redfall studio Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango GameWorks. Just after those closures, statements from a town hall made the rounds that didn’t help Xbox much, either. Call of Duty hitting Game Pass could be seen as a break-glass PR move, but a price hike on Game Pass would certainly add to the growing pile of grievances from Xbox owners.
