When Microsoft closed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year, some players assumed this meant that the next installment in the Call of Duty franchise would hit Game Pass on day one of its release. But according to a new report, that may not be the case. Per the report, Microsoft has had “internal debates” about whether to put Call of Duty’s latest releases on Game Pass. Call of Duty is one of the top-selling video game series in the world, and there is apparently concern that placing the next title on Game Pass will only hurt its revenue stream.
Per the report from The Verge, Microsoft has considered another increase of the price of Game Pass Ultimate. Since a final decision hasn’t been made, “[it] could mean we still see a future Call of Duty release appear in most versions of Game Pass.”
Microsoft placed a large bet on Game Pass to close the gap between Xbox and PlayStation 5 this generation, and that wager has fallen well short of the goal. Not only are Xbox console sales far behind PS5, but Game Pass subscriptions are also declining. Game Pass itself has been blamed for negatively impacting sales of games like Hi-Fi Rush. That goes a long way towards explaining why Microsoft and Activision might think twice before risking the same downward trend for Call of Duty.
This news comes on the heels of Microsoft’s decision to close down Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Games–all of which were affiliated with Bethesda. And there may be more layoffs among Xbox-affiliated studios that raise further questions about the viability of Microsoft’s gaming strategy.
The next Call of Duty is expected to be released this October or November
