Call of Duty’s Game Pass debut eschews new sub tiers

Image via Treyarch/Activision Blizzard.

When Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 releases on Xbox Game Pass, it’s coming to the subscription service with no strings attached.

Before its actual reveal, many wondered if the shooter would be used to launch a new, pricier tier. In a statement to Eurogamer, Microsoft explained that isn’t the case, and it’ll be fully playable on Xbox and PC for all three of the current tiers.

It’s been previously reported that Microsoft was looking to increase Game Pass Ultimate’s price after previously doing so last July. If there were any game to test that with, it’d arguably be the newest installment in the best-selling, money making shooter franchise.

While Black Ops 6 isn’t the kickoff point for a new Game Pass tier or price hike, that doesn’t mean either are off the table.

War never changes, but Game Pass will change Call of DutyMicrosoft’s dogged pursuit of acquiring Activision Blizzard was effectively focused on grabbing Call of Duty and bringing it to Game Pass. The question now is how it affects both the series and platform.

The potential price hike aside, putting Black Ops 6 on Game Pass may end up hurting the franchise. It’s been a big money driver for Sony as a third-party partner, and putting it behind a service runs the risk of cutting off some revenue.

Someone’s likely to end up taking a hit to the wallet if Black Ops 6 on Game Pass isn’t a one-and-done. The question is just who’ll take the lumps first, and in what order the rest come.

About the Author(s)

Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com

A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don’t ask him about how much gum he’s had, because the answer will be more than he’s willing to admit.