Black Ops 6 comes out today, October 25, and it does what no Call of Duty game has done before: launch directly into Game Pass.
Following Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, the pressure is now on to deliver on its gaming business. With this in mind, Xbox head Phil Spencer has decided to release Black Ops 6 as a Game Pass game one day, even though it will be limited to the Ultimate and PC Game Pass tiers.
It’s an important moment not only for Call of Duty, but also for Game Pass, which has struggled to grow in recent years. The latest official figures put the number of Game Pass subscribers at 34 million. 34 million paying subscribers across console, PC and cloud. In fact Microsoft scrapped its $1 introductory Game Pass trial just weeks before Black Ops 6 launched, just as it did with Starfield last year — further evidence that after recent price hikes and tier changes, the pressure is on for Game Pass now. The power of Call of Duty.
Will it benefit Microsoft? In interviews GamesIndustry.bizAnalysts predict that Black Ops 6 could increase the number of Game Pass subscribers by between 2.5 million and 4 million. However, analysts predict a significant impact on Black Ops 6’s sales. Call of Duty is usually the best-selling game of the year, but there’s now a big question mark over whether it will repeat that feat with Black Ops 6. It is available as part of Game Pass.
Wedbush boss Michael Pachter told GI that putting Black Ops 6 on Game Pass would result in a loss of six million sales, based on the assumption that 25% of Game Pass subscribers would have bought the game anyway. Against this, Bacher said Game Pass could grow by three to four million subscribers.
This is perhaps an expected change, but is it better for Microsoft and Activision as a whole? Getting more players than ever, even at the game’s retail price, will eventually pay off thanks to Call of Duty’s lucrative direct service, fueled by premium battle passes and expensive cosmetic packs. Microsoft may be playing the long game here, risking negative headlines that Call of Duty sales are down compared to previous years.
Of course, now that Microsoft has taken the plunge with Call of Duty, Game Pass is off the table. The expectation now is that every year a premium Call of Duty game will launch day one on Game Pass, and fans are still waiting to add to the backlist.
Even before we get started on Black Ops 6, we’ve got plenty of confirmation that its strange arachnophobia mode, built-in support for $20 audio tech, Activision’s ambitious new plans to crack down on cheaters, and no terrible mayhem. Shield.
If you’re jumping into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer, check out Essential Multiplayer Tips and Tricks to help you get started. We’ve got a full weapons list, a guide to all multiplayer maps and game modes, and details on how to unlock all Black Ops 6 operators.
Wesley is IGN’s UK news editor. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
