Let’s face it. Buying a new video game at full price isn’t exactly the easiest decision, especially when there are so many titles competing for our attention. And although some games are definitely worth the investment, the decision becomes a little more complicated when subscription services like Xbox Game Pass are already offering a game with a remarkably similar experience without requiring an additional purchase. Unfortunately for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, this might be exactly the situation it’s about to face.
Battlefield 6 is arriving on Xbox Game Pass on October 13. This is only 10 days before the launch of Modern Warfare 4 on October 23, which will be available without Game Pass access. In other words, Xbox players will have the opportunity to experience a major military shooter through their subscriptions before deciding whether to purchase another one at full price. It’s no secret that the two franchises have been competing for years now, but this time, it seems like Modern Warfare 4 may have to compete against the value of a subscription as much as against Battlefield‘s actual gameplay.
Battlefield 6 Has a Ten-Day Head Start That Modern Warfare 4 Can’t Ignore
There are many advantages to launching earlier than the competition, especially when both parties are targeting a similar audience. After all, players can only dedicate so much time to gaming, and being the first one to get their attention can actually make or break your game’s release. And although this might not be an issue for every genre, it is definitely important when it comes to military shooters, because players tend to spend hours on end getting familiar with the gameplay before even considering switching to a different game.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
This does not mean that players will necessarily prefer Battlefield 6 over Modern Warfare 4, but it does mean that many might already be invested in the former by the time the latter arrives, making it considerably harder to convince them to switch. And if that’s not enough, there’s also the question of money. The fact that Battlefield 6 will be free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers may easily create another barrier for the upcoming Call of Duty. And it makes sense from the player’s perspective, too. If you’re already enjoying Battlefield 6 for free, there’s not much point in spending money on another game that is already similar enough.
Halo Infinite and Battlefield 2042 Have Already Shown How This Rivalry Can Play Out
Interestingly enough, this is not the first time we’ve witnessed a similar situation. Back in November 2021, Battlefield 2042 launched at full price while Halo Infinite surprised players with a free-to-play multiplayer just a few days earlier. Yes, it’s true that the two games are not exactly identical, but they are both major FPS titles competing for the same audience. And since Halo Infinite was offering its multiplayer for free, people had no reason not to give it a shot before spending money on Battlefield 2042.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is expected to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
As it turned out, Halo Infinite managed to get more than 200K concurrent players on Steam shortly after the launch of its multiplayer, while Battlefield 2042 peaked at a little over 100K players during the initial release. Unfortunately for the latter, things only got worse from there, as the game faced widespread criticism and experienced a dramatic drop in its player count. Of course, this was also due to technical and gameplay issues, but the fact that the free multiplayer of Halo Infinite dropped just before the launch of Battlefield 2042 may as well have played a significant role too.
Modern Warfare 4 Will Have to Give Players a Reason to Spend More
At the end of the day, having access to a game through a subscription does not guarantee that it will beat all of its competition. If one title is better than another, even doubling its price won’t necessarily make people lose interest in purchasing it. Moreover, there will always be players who will automatically buy Modern Warfare 4 regardless of what Xbox Game Pass has to offer, especially if they already know that they prefer this franchise over anything else. However, the situation may have a greater influence on those who simply want a military shooter without necessarily caring about the name of the franchise.
When it comes to them, Modern Warfare 4 will have to offer a compelling enough experience to justify an additional purchase. In any case, if Battlefield 6 manages to keep players entertained during those 10 days, Modern Warfare might actually have a hard time competing. However, there’s also the possibility of people giving Battlefield 6 a shot and figuring out that they simply prefer what Call of Duty has to offer. In that case, the price difference might actually not matter much. Ultimately, it comes down to how satisfied players are with Battlefield by the time Modern Warfare 4 arrives.
- Released
-
October 23, 2026
- Multiplayer
-
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
