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The decision to include Call of Duty in Xbox Game Pass was meant to be one of the biggest assets following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Initially, everything looked excellent—record popularity, massive interest, and an influx of new subscribers. However, signals are now emerging that this strategy may have serious flaws. According to an industry insider, it is not impossible that as early as 2026, the series could… disappear from the service. And this would not be a minor adjustment, but a decision that could upend the entire Game Pass model.
A success that started to hurt
The introduction of Call of Duty to Game Pass, starting with Black Ops 6, was a huge move both marketing-wise and business-wise. The problem is that the scale of success has started to work against the platform itself. As insider Jez Corden points out, the game is so massive that it literally "sucks" the budget allocated to Game Pass, limiting funds for other productions. This leads to a dangerous domino effect: fewer new games means a greater risk of subscriber churn. On the other hand, the brand itself also suffers. The subscription model means that players do not have to buy the new Call of Duty at full price, which can directly impact sales. As a result, we have a paradox: the presence of the game in Game Pass harms both the service and the series itself. It is these tensions that are said to be one of the reasons why Microsoft is considering radical changes.
More expensive subscription and new ideas
It is also worth noting that Microsoft previously raised the price of Game Pass Ultimate by as much as 50%. This was largely explained by access to the latest Call of Duty. Therefore, if the game does indeed disappear from the service, a natural move seems to be a reduction in subscription price, as otherwise it will be difficult to justify its value. At the same time, there are reports of new, cheaper tiers of Game Pass with the codenames Triton and Duet. These would offer access solely to first-party games such as Halo, Gears of War, or Fallout, without the biggest hits like Call of Duty. This suggests that Microsoft may be looking for a completely new direction instead of one expensive package with "everything", and we will see a more fragmented offering tailored to different gamers.
If Call of Duty действительно исчезнет из Game Pass, это будет сигналом о том, что даже самые крупные бренды не всегда подходят под модель подписки. Для Microsoft это момент истины и возможное начало больших изменений в стратегии.
source: wccftech.com
