The inclusion of this year’s Call of Duty in Xbox Game Pass seems uncertain

The inclusion of Activision Blizzard’s games in the Game Pass subscription without any additional charges was a major source of excitement for Xbox fans eagerly awaiting Microsoft’s acquisition. It seems that the folks at the Redmond firm are having a change of heart, and Xbox Series X|S owners might have to shell out the same amount as PS5 fans to experience this year’s highly anticipated Call of Duty game. Speculations suggest that it will be a Black Ops installment set in the Gulf War.

In a comprehensive report by Tom Warren of The Verge, the Redmond firm has been engaged in intense discussions regarding the potential inclusion of Call of Duty in its subscription service. Here’s the dilemma: the FPS franchise rakes in a substantial amount of cash from full-price sales. However, if Microsoft were to uphold its promise of including first-party releases in Game Pass from day one, it would risk losing a considerable amount of money in this particular case. In the current climate of cost-cutting, this decision appears to be quite risky.

Naturally, the company is faced with a difficult dilemma. It has consistently assured its fans that all of its in-house software will be included in Game Pass upon release. It even seemed to extend this promise to Activision Blizzard titles during its business update broadcast earlier this year. One possible approach could be for the company to consider raising the monthly subscription fee, a decision that seems to have been under consideration.

It will be intriguing to witness which perspective it ultimately aligns with. It’s clear that PlayStation’s decisions have minimal impact. Sony’s contract with Microsoft guarantees that Call of Duty will keep coming to PS5 and future consoles for the next decade, and it will be sold at full price. Xbox, on the other hand, must now decide what it values more: staying true to its commitment to subscribers or prioritizing profitability.