It’s been revealed from the Wallstreet Journal that Black Ops 6 is set to launch day 1 on Xbox Game pass. Call of Duty is now owned by Microsoft following the acquisition of Activision, but has yet to see a title release on Xbox Game Pass. Black Ops 6 is the Call of Duty title releasing this fall, and the first under new Microsoft leadership. Here’s everything we know so far about the Black Ops 6 Xbox Game Pass integration:
THE ACQUISITION OF ACTIVISION
Amidst controversy during 2021, Microsoft announced the acquisition of Activision which took several years to close. The deal cost upwards of $69 billion dollars, which made it the largest acquisition in history.
Microsoft confirmed that they’d eliminate all console exclusive content, and that Call of Duty would continue to release on PlayStation.
NEW MICROSOFT CROSSOVERS
Beginning with Modern Warfare 3, there’s potential for Microsoft owned characters being added into Call of Duty through the store! Characters like Master Chief, Minecraft Steve, and many more could make their way into the FPS shooter in 2024/2025.
Season 4 is rumored to feature a collaboration with Fallout, a title that Microsoft now owns following their acquisition of Bethesda a few years ago. Before the acquisition of Activision closed, MW2 did a crossover with Doom. B
Black Ops 6 is expected to receive even more collaborations with various Xbox brands.
CALL OF DUTY TITLES ON GAME PASS
It’s no secret that Xbox Game Pass has been an absolute beast when it comes to accessibility of many different franchises inside of the gaming space. Not only could players jump into games that were only on last generation consoles, but could even experience cross play with newer gen Xbox hardware.
This would be HUGE for Call of Duty considering it would give a whole new audience of people a chance to play older titles, hopefully with all DLC, through an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
BLACK OPS 6 ON XBOX GAME PASS
According to the Wallstreet Journal, Black Ops 6 is expected to launch Day 1 on Xbox Game Pass, which would be monumental for the Call of Duty series. It’s unclear what price changes could arise for Game Pass, but it’s unlikely current tiers will cover the costs.
Call of Duty generates billions of dollars every year, and it makes sense that Microsoft wants to push as many sales as possible towards game pass or Xbox hardware.
UPDATE: MICROSOFT CONFIRMS BLACK OPS 6 INTEGRATION
As Black Ops 6 marketing has ramped up, Microsoft officially broke silence in an official blog post where they confirmed the new Call of Duty will be available Day 1 on Game Pass. Very few details were given, but the Xbox Showcase event on June 9th will undoubtedly reveal how the integration will work.
Microsoft confirmed players will be able to preload Black Ops 6 ahead of it’s launch, which is a benefit for Game Pass subscribers.
HOW MUCH WILL BLACK OPS 6 COST ON GAME PASS
According to @geoffkeighley on Twitter, current Game Pass subscribers will get access Black Ops 6, which doesn’t confirm nor deny a price increase. What this does confirm is the current tiers will at least cover the new Call of Duty, if not older titles:
- Game Pass Ultimate – $16.99 USD/month
- Game Pass for Console – $10.99 USD/month
- PC Game Pass – $9.99 USD/month
- Game Pass Core – $9.99 USD/month OR $59.99/year
It’s likely additional fees will incur if players want to get early access or other special edition benefits for Black Ops 6. Stay tuned for further updates!
BENEFITS AND CONSEQUENCES
Microsoft recently confirmed that sales are down for both Xbox hardware and Xbox Game Pass. In an attempt to make back the $69 billion they invested into Activision, they’ve shut down studios in an effort to cut costs down.
While being able to play Call of Duty “for free” through a monthly subscription is a big change for the franchise, it could bring forth a number of changes to the entire industry:
INCREASED MICROTRANSACTION PRICES
Bundles have gotten increasingly more expensive for Call of Duty, with certain packs costing upwards of $30 or more. Although seasonal updates are completely free, cosmetic prices have become inflated over the last two years.
It’s very likely that with a game pass integration and lower overall game sales, MTX within Call of Duty will become more expensive to cover those losses.
GAME PASS FUTURE AT RISK
With Game Pass sales being down as is, it’s unlikely that the Xbox subscription service lives to see another year if Call of Duty doesn’t significantly boost the service. It’s expected that a more expensive tier of Game Pass will be revealed during the Xbox showcase event on June 9th.
PRE ORDER INCENTIVES
Microsoft did confirm there wouldn’t be any more console exclusive content or hardware restrictions, but if a game pass incentive for COD 2024 is early access to Black Ops 6 Zombies, this would spark controversy in an effort to boost subscriptions.
It’s very likely Microsoft will provide special benefits for playing a new Call of Duty day 1 on Xbox pass, unless they just remain faithful that players will subscribe solely because of a cheaper cost than buying the full game.
THE END
It actually feels like new Call of Duty titles being available on Xbox Game Pass day 1 should’ve been a chance for the next console generation, but it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out for Black Ops 6.
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