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After ages worth of 'will they or won't they' speculation, a new report suggests that Microsoft plans to bring Call of Duty to Xbox Game Pass, with a confirmation coming as part of the Summer Game Fest schedule for 2024.
"Microsoft plans a major shake-up of its videogame [sic] sales strategy by releasing the coming installment of Call of Duty to its subscription service instead of the longtime, lucrative approach of only selling it a la carte," according to a new (paywalled) report from the Wall Street Journal. Citing sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, the report goes on to say that the company plans to make the announcement official as part of the Xbox Games Showcase on June 9. WSJ says Microsoft declined to comment on the report.
If today's report is true, this represents a significant Game Pass push from Microsoft, which is seemingly willing to sacrifice upfront Call of Duty sales on Xbox and PC if it means more subscribers. Microsoft has pledged to keep Call of Duty available on PlayStation for a decade following the closure of the Xbox Activision deal, and Xbox Game Pass is not available on the Sony platform, where the franchise has seen most of its sales in recent years. Last week, Xbox president Sarah Bond appeared to tease Xbox Game Pass appearances from the Activision portfolio, which would include Call of Duty.
Alongside the Xbox Games Showcase in June, Microsoft is also hosting a "Redacted Direct" that's been not-so-subtly teased as a reveal of this year's Call of Duty. Rumors have long held that this will be Black Ops 6, and it looks like we'll know the truth of it soon enough.
Call of Duty is arguably the biggest traditional gaming franchise that doesn't involve stealing cars, and Microsoft will certainly be betting big on it this year. But with the closure of several beloved studios earlier this month, fans and the industry at large will certainly be looking at the company with even greater scrutiny.
