Is the inclusion in Xbox Game Pass wobbly?

Xbox Game Pass was once supposed to be the Netflix of games. Microsoft's goal is to have more than 100 million subscribers by 2030. This figure was found in documents that were leaked as part of the FTC proceedings surrounding the Activision Blizzard takeover.

Microsoft is still holding on Xbox Game Pass firmly. 34 million subscribers were last recorded. However, the latest analyzes and evaluations make it clear that Sales from subscription services are stagnating and the actual Using Xbox Game Pass is comparatively manageable.

At the same time, the new direction of the gaming division is becoming clearer. Microsoft sold First-party games are now on competing consoles. And the first studios with which the Xbox Game Pass was fed, do not exist anymore. But what does this mean for the future of the subscription service and for heavyweights like “Call of Duty”?

Call of Duty on Game Pass? Microsoft is still debating

Many Xbox gamers celebrated Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year. After all, they had the hope of receiving additional games for a flat price in the future, for which the publisher they had taken over paid the full price every year. “Diablo 4” is now on subscription.

But what about new releases? Will the next “Call of Duty” end up directly in the subscription? A detailed one The Verge article by Tom Warren suggests that this scenario is far from set in stone. According to him, there is a heated debate within the company about whether the popular shooter series should be part of the subscription.

There is a plausible reason for the hesitation: “Call of Duty” is Activision's driving force and most studios are involved in the development. The high costs pay off in the end, as “Call of Duty” is one of the best-selling games every year. One billion US dollars in sales can often be achieved after just a few days.

If Microsoft actually starts including all of the acquired publisher's first-party games in Game Pass immediately, it would be a significant loss. On the other hand, there are layoffs and studio closures with which Microsoft wants to reduce costs.

“I understand that this debate has been going on internally for some time, with some fearing that the revenue that Call of Duty normally generates for Activision Blizzard could be undermined by Game Pass,” said Tom Warren, who is well-informed applies.

The journalist was also told that internal considerations were being given to increasing the price of Game Pass Ultimate.

Microsoft could also decide to include Call of Duty

Warren adds that these are currently only internal considerations. In fact, a final decision could be that future “Call of Duty” games appear “on most versions of Game Pass.”

“The internal debate reflects the fact that Microsoft's Xbox strategy has shifted from only making its games available on Game Pass to considering bringing more Xbox games to multiple platforms,” the journalist continued.

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In the end, it remains to be seen how Microsoft will reconcile the promise of bringing all new releases to Xbox Game Pass and the cost structure. Because it cannot be assumed that the inclusion of “Call of Duty” will lead to a sudden increase in subscription revenue.

This means that part of the previous “Call of Duty” income would be lost. The big money is made with the series on other platforms anyway.

More news about Call of Duty, Xbox Game Pass.

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