Xbox Game Pass is known for bringing us all manner of triple-A titans on day one – just look at Bethesda’s giant space RPG Starfield or the upcoming Indiana Jones game. Now, Game Pass is reportedly committing to bringing the biggest FPS franchise on Earth to players: Call of Duty. Despite some will-they-won’t-they reports over recent weeks, it now seems fully back on the table, and the landmark move will begin with Treyarch’s upcoming entry, Black Ops 6.
In a new report from The Wall Street Journal, it claims that Microsoft will enhance its massive Xbox Game Pass games list with this year’s brand new COD game. The multi-billion dollar tech company reportedly plans to revaluate “its videogame sales strategy by releasing the coming installment of Call of Duty to its subscription service instead of the longtime, lucrative approach of only selling it à la carte.” This comes days after Xbox’s president Sarah Bond offered reassurances that new Xbox games like the FPS game titan would debut on the service.
Should Microsoft confirm WSJ’s claims in the near future, this would bring the barrier of entry for the hit multiplayer game franchise down exponentially. Typically retailing for a minimum of $70 across PS5 and Xbox platforms at launch, Call of Duty releases are often the best-selling game of the year. However, last year that accolade was firmly blocked by Warner Brothers’ Harry Potter RPG game blockbuster, Hogwarts Legacy.
Even with recent entries like Modern Warfare 3 underwhelming in some key areas, paying as little as $10.99 for Game Pass access to play Black Ops 6 likely won’t see players complaining – that is if prices stay at the level they are now.
It was a point of contention legally, though, before the Microsoft Activision merger was finalized. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority noted that Microsoft had numerous “advantages” to make the deal unfair for Sony. Nevertheless, it looks we can expect to see the upcoming Xbox Showcase conclude with confirmation that Treyarch’s forthcoming shooter will arrive on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
In other gaming news, Embark’s rival game-show FPS The Finals looks set to debut Season 3 at Summer Game Fest, and GTA 6’s Fall 2025 release window could see it stand toe to toe with Call of Duty.