There is a bit of “inner turmoil” going on at Microsoft and Xbox right now. As we reported last week, the company shut down four studios, including some fan-favorite ones that have made big titles in the past, in an attempt to restructure and keep the company “healthy.” However, that might have just been the “PR answer” to things. According to those close to the subject, Microsoft is trying to recoup the massive amounts of money that Xbox spent to get things like Call of Duty publisher Activision, which put many things up in the air. One of those things was where the hit FPS would launch when its next title came out.
Specifically, there were reports going around after the studio closure news that Call of Duty wouldn’t end up on the Xbox Game Pass platform when it launched. The irony is that not everyone was mad about that for a basic reason: money. The FPS franchise is one of the biggest and most consistent sellers in the video game industry. It’s been the top-selling game for years until it was finally dethroned by a certain “magical” title in 2023. It also should be noted that year’s shooter wasn’t the best in terms of quality.
Regardless, Activision and Microsoft stand to gain a bunch more money by letting the game sell on its own versus going to Xbox Game Pass and potentially losing lots of money. However, in a new report from the Wall Street Journal, it appears the upcoming iteration WILL be on the Xbox Game Pass.
This is an interesting move, given the state of Xbox Game Pass. Insiders have reported that while Xbox higher-ups like Phil Spencer have been bragging about the subscription service, the platform’s growth has stalled. It doesn’t help that the company’s newest system, the Xbox Series X/S, has been out for years and yet hasn’t even sold a combined 30 million units. That means that fewer people than you think are using the Xbox Game Pass and playing its titles.
The report believes that Microsoft will try to use the upcoming Call of Duty title to encourage people to get the pass so that they can increase their numbers by a large margin. The problem with that theory is that they could get it to play the game and then simply unsubscribe when they’re done. Or, they could just buy the game outright and avoid the hassle of a subscription.
