Microsoft to Launch New Call of Duty on Game Pass: Report

Are you a subscriber of Microsoft Game Pass? Your subscription might get a bit hotter as the next version of Call of Duty might launch on the service, instead of via its regular retail sales approach.

That’s according to the Wall Street Journal on Friday. Sources familiar with the matter note this will be announced at the annual Xbox showcase next month. This shift marks the biggest change to Microsoft’s gaming division since its $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The move aims to attract new Game Pass subscribers, despite potentially earning less per unit than traditional sales. “Adding Call of Duty at launch signals Microsoft’s commitment to the subscription model,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter.

Microsoft’s subscription service, Game Pass, currently costs $11.99 to $18.99 a month in Canada and offers access to hundreds of games. Before Microsoft’s acquisition, Activision was hesitant to adopt subscription models for Call of Duty, a franchise that has generated over $30 billion in lifetime revenue.

Critics, including former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, have argued that subscription models could undermine the value of new frontline releases.

Despite these concerns, Microsoft’s subscription-based approach may reshape the gaming landscape by potentially offering major titles like Call of Duty at a lower upfront cost to consumers while boosting long-term subscription revenues.

Back in September, Microsoft launched Starfield on Game Pass and this saw a record number of new subscriptions in a single day it said.

Game Pass, which launched in 2017, has 34 million subscribers as of earlier this year, up from 25 million in 2022.

Would you jump on a Game Pass subscription to play the new Call of Duty?