In a recent announcement, Asha Sharma, the newly appointed head of Xbox, shared a mix of updates for Game Pass subscribers that are sure to stir conversation among the gaming community. While the subscription service has seen a price reduction, there is a notable shift regarding the release of new Call of Duty titles. Subscribers will no longer receive these games on launch day; instead, they will be available a year later, coinciding with the release of the subsequent installment in the franchise.
Shifts in Strategy
This decision marks one of the first significant changes under Sharma’s leadership, succeeding Phil Spencer during a challenging period for Microsoft, where Xbox faced considerable scrutiny. The move appears to align with Activision’s strategy to reassess the availability of its flagship series, particularly after reports indicated that the broader distribution of Call of Duty titles negatively impacted the profitability of upcoming releases, including Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7.
Despite the delay of new titles, there is a silver lining for Game Pass users. According to sources at Activision, the company intends to enhance the Game Pass library by adding more titles from the Call of Duty back catalog this year. Currently, only a select few of the most recent entries are accessible through the Ultimate tier, with the oldest being 2017’s Call of Duty: WW2.
Potential Additions to Game Pass
The prospect of including classic titles such as Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops could significantly boost the appeal of Game Pass, especially considering that many older games still command prices between to , with some never having made their way to PC. The potential additions could include:
- Call of Duty (2003)
- Call of Duty 2 (2005)
- Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (2005)
- Call of Duty 3 (2006)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
- Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012)
- Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015)
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)
- Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)
Interestingly, the often-overlooked Vanguard from 2021 has also been absent from Game Pass, leaving fans to wonder if it, along with other forgotten titles like Treyarch’s Big Red One, will finally receive the attention they deserve.
