Tech

Microsoft insists it won’t lock Call of Duty Black Ops 6 behind a new Game Pass tier at launch

EleonMay 31, 2024

12 2 minutes read

Amid speculation Microsoft is planning to launch a new, more expensive Game Pass tier, the company has confirmed that Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will be playable upon launch on all existing tiers.

This week, Microsoft announced the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 day-one on Xbox Game Pass. It is the first Call of Duty game to do this, and follows Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft has faced tough questions regarding the potential cannibalizing effect of Game Pass, particularly on games launched on the service’s first day. While Xbox executives have insisted that sales can be boosted by having a game on Game Pass, some publishers aren’t convinced. Former Activision boss Bobby Kotick, for example, has always opposed the integration of Call of Duty into subscription services. Unlike Microsoft, console rival Sony does not publish its new exclusives directly in its subscription service.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Live Action Reveals Trailer Screenshots

Speculation is rife that Microsoft is planning to make significant changes to Game Pass to accommodate Black Ops 6 launching directly into the service. Some have wondered whether Microsoft plans to launch a new, more expensive tier of Game Pass strictly for day one titles, effectively locking Black Ops 6 behind it in the process.

However, a statement to Eurogamer from a Microsoft spokesperson ruled out this possibility, at least for the launch of Black Ops 6 later this year.

“At launch, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be playable on Xbox and PC for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass for console members,” Microsoft said.

It’s worth digging into what this statement doesn’t say, as much as what it does say. For starters, this doesn’t rule out a price hike for any or all of the tiers currently available to subscribers. The statement leaves room for Microsoft to charge more before the launch of Black Ops 6, if it feels it’s the right step.

Likewise, the statement leaves room for Microsoft to make changes to existing tiers while still making Black Ops 6 available on them at launch. Changes discussed include adding ads, price increases, or a combination of both.

New Call of Duty games sell for $70 and typically sell around 25 million copies, representing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. By releasing this year’s Call of Duty directly into Game Pass, Microsoft is potentially risking cannibalizing those sales. Of course, Activision will also launch Call of Duty on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC as a directly purchasable game. But with the number of Game Pass subscribers not growing significantly, Microsoft is under pressure to attract new customers. The addition of a mainline Call of Duty game at launch will no doubt help with this.

Microsoft is in the process of elimination of 1,900 employees in its gaming activity. Earlier this month, the company shocked the gaming world by announcing the closure of Tango Gameworks, developer of Hi-Fi Rush, and Arkane Austin, developer of Redfall. There are fears that more cuts are to come.

Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.