Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 To Be Available On Xbox Game Pass
Microsoft has announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on Xbox Game Pass from the day the game launches. The latest instalment in the popular series will be accessible to Game Pass subscribers at no extra cost.
The announcement was confirmed in a post on Xbox Wire and further detailed that more information will be shared at the Xbox Games Showcase and the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Direct event on June 9, 2024.
This move is part of Microsoft's all-in approach to Game Pass, who are now offering major titles at launch to subscribers, with previous titles involved including Starfield, which launched last year. Traditionally, players have had to purchase big releases outright, but now they will now be able to access Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 with their subscription.
Call of Duty is the biggest game to be offered on a subscription service on release day, with the Call of Duty series making over 425m lifetime sales so far.
The decision comes after Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023, with Call of Duty being a key asset. This strategy aims to boost Game Pass subscriptions, which stood at 34 million subscribers as of February 2024. By adding such a major title, Microsoft hopes to attract more subscribers, even at the potential cost of traditional sales revenue.
It is currently unknown if gamers will be able to stream the new game or whether they will be required to download it, with French game publisher Ubisoft holding the cloud streaming rights for Activision games. This means that the game may not be available for streaming on launch day.
Call of Duty remains a huge revenue generator through in-game purchases like skins and battle passes, which won't be discounted for Game Pass users. This ensures that the game can still be monetised despite being available on the subscription service.
