Microsoft will quickly announce its intention to launch this yr’s mainline Call of Duty sport straight into Game Pass, in accordance to a brand new report.
The Wall Street Journal reviews that Microsoft will announce the plans throughout its Xbox showcase occasion in June.
“Microsoft plans a serious shakeup of its online game gross sales technique by releasing the approaching installment of Call of Duty to its subscription service as a substitute of the longtime, profitable strategy of solely promoting it a la carte,” WSJ reported. Microsoft declined to remark when contacted by the publication.
The report tallies with latest feedback from Xbox president Sarah Bond, who indicated all Microsoft’s video games, together with these developed by the not too long ago acquired Activision, will launch straight into Game Pass.
Microsoft has confronted robust questions across the potential cannibalization impact of Game Pass, notably on video games that launch on the service day-one. Whereas Xbox executives have insisted gross sales may be boosted by a sport’s presence on Game Pass, some publishers stay unconvinced. Former Activision boss Bobby Kotick, for instance, was all the time towards placing Call of Duty into subscription companies. Not like Microsoft, console rival Sony doesn’t launch its new exclusives straight into its subscription service.
In an interview with IGN final yr, Xbox boss Phil Spencer was requested how he’d deal with his and Kotick’s totally different ideologies after the deal to purchase Activision Blizzard closed. “Nicely, there is a totally different individual making the selections,” Spencer laughed.
New Call of Duty video games promote for $70 and normally shift round 25 million copies, amounting to tons of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in income. By releasing this yr’s Call of Duty straight into Game Pass, Microsoft probably dangers cannibalizing these gross sales.
After all, Activision may also launch Call of Duty throughout Xbox, PlayStation, and PC as a sport that may be purchased outright. However with Game Pass subscriber numbers failing to develop meaningfully Microsoft is below strain to entice new clients. Including a mainline Call of Duty sport at launch will little question assist with that.
The Verge reviews Microsoft is contemplating elevating the worth of Xbox Game Pass Final once more, and that Activision is at present focusing on a late October 2024 launch for this yr’s Call of Duty, which is anticipated to be known as Black Ops 6 after teasers found in Warzone had been acknowledged by developer Treyarch. Microsoft can also be rumored to be prepared to launch the Call of Duty again catalog of video video games into Game Pass forward of Black Ops 6’s launch.
Microsoft is within the course of of slicing 1,900 workers from its gaming enterprise. Earlier this month, the corporate shocked the online game world by saying the closure of Hello-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin. There are fears extra cuts are to come.
Wesley is the UK Information Editor for IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.