When is Call of Duty coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Here's when we can expect Call of Duty on Microsoft's popular subscription service
Now that Microsoft’s protracted takeover of Activision Blizzard is finally complete, the biggest question on everyone’s lips is when is Call of Duty coming to Xbox Game Pass.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard gives it access to a plethora of fantastic IPs and popular series, such as Diablo, Overwatch, Crash Bandicoot, and many more. But it’s the Call of Duty franchise that gets the tills ringing and continues to attract millions of players every single year.
Currently, you’ll have to shell out $70 for each new Call of Duty release – and that’s just for the standard version of the game. But thankfully, that won’t be the case for much longer.
Microsoft used to release all of its first-party games on Xbox Game Pass on the day of release, which will include Call of Duty in the future, starting with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on October 25, 2024. However, from September 12, only Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members will get Call of Duty as part of their subscription. That means you’ll be able to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 for $11.99.
When will Call of Duty come to Game Pass?
The first Call of Duty game will arrive on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate this year. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will launch straight onto the service on October 25 after Microsoft decided that Call of Duty will launch straight into Xbox Game Pass after much deliberation. The decision might seem easy to some, but it’s not too difficult to see why it struggled to reach this conclusion.
Call of Duty sells millions of copies every year and continues to be one of the most popular games by some margin. Putting the title on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass will cost Microsoft potentially millions in guaranteed sales, but it will hope Call of Duty’s presence on the subscription service will be more beneficial in the long term.
According to Insider Gaming, “Xbox is gearing up for an announcement on its back catalog” of Activision Blizzard games at the upcoming June Xbox showcase. We should also get our first look at this year’s Call of Duty title, Black Ops Gulf War.
Fans have been patiently waiting for Call of Duty to come to Xbox Game Pass since Microsoft officially acquired Activision Blizzard. Speaking on the Official Xbox Podcast in 2023, Microsoft’s CEO of Gaming Phil Spencer said that fans will have to wait a little longer before we see the likes of Diablo 4 or Spyro the Dragon on Xbox Game Pass (though Diablo 4 is now available).
“Now that the deal is closed, we’re starting that work,” said Spencer, in response to when Activision Blizzard games will come to Xbox Game Pass. “The Twitter handle [Activision Blizzard’s official account] talked about 2024, I think that’s accurate.
“I would love it if there was some kind of secret celebration drop that’s coming in the next couple of weeks. There’s not. Definitely, when we think about the new games that are there, I would be straight with people. If we were going to put them in the subscription this year, I would tell people. And I know there’ll be some disappointment about that. This acquisition is definitely long-term.”
In an interview with Game File, Spencer reiterated the company’s commitment to bringing Call of Duty to Xbox Game Pass. “Our intent is the full portfolio of games from ZeniMax, Activision Blizzard and XGS—Xbox Game Studios—will be on Game Pass, day one,” he said.
However, Spencer said there is development work to be done to get Game Pass launches going for the Activision Blizzard games. “We're doing the back end work to make them come to PC and console simultaneously,” he said.
Will Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 be on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will launch on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and PC Game Pass on day one. That’s a huge boon for Microsoft’s subscription service, which has seen new subscribers stagnate in recent years.
Shortly after Microsoft’s takeover was confirmed, Activision Blizzard posted an announcement on X toward the end of 2023 saying, “It’s awesome to see anticipation building for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. As we continue to work toward regulatory approval of the Microsoft deal, we’ve been getting some questions whether our upcoming and recently launched games will be available via Game Pass.
“While we do not have plans to put Modern Warfare 3 or Diablo 4 into Game Pass this year, once the deal closes, we expect to start working with Xbox to bring our titles to more players around the world. And we anticipate that we would begin adding games into Game Pass some time in the course of next year.”
Diablo 4 was the first Activision Blizzard title to come to Xbox Game Pass on March 21. According to an internal email from Microsoft’s Sarah Bond seen by Windows Central, Diablo 4 has become “the number one platform for D4 players”.
Will older Call of Duty games come to Game Pass?
Almost definitely. Microsoft quietly fixed the matchmaking servers of older Call of Duty games for Xbox 360, a move that likely indicates they’re coming to Xbox Game Pass soon. Older Call of Duty games remain extremely popular, especially for nostalgic fans who still enjoy playing online. It’s also fun to revisit the campaigns of earlier games if you prefer Call of Duty’s single-player mode.
Which Call of Duty games could come to Xbox Game Pass?
There are a myriad of Call of Duty titles that could be added to Xbox Game Pass in 2024, but there’s no guarantee Microsoft will want to bring every title into its subscription service straight away.
Fans will be expecting to see every Call of Duty title on Xbox Game Pass at some point, though, so here are all the Call of Duty games that could end up on Microsoft’s service.
Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty Black Ops
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
Call of Duty: WW2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered (2020)
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Call of Duty: Vanguard
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
Will Call of Duty games remain on PS5?
If you’re a PS5 owner, there’s no need to fret about the future of Call of Duty. Microsoft has signed a binding 10-year deal that will keep Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms, as well as bringing the games back to Nintendo consoles. Call of Duty will also be available on PC and eventually cloud services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Xbox chief Phil Spencer also reiterated on the Official Xbox Podcast that there won’t be any exclusive content or perks for Xbox Series X|S Call of Duty players. Parity will remain with the PS5 versions so PlayStation gamers won’t get a lesser product or be locked off from certain content.
Last updated: July 11, 2024
The best part is parity for EVERYONE and access to the older games, especially the 360 era games.