Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 could be huge for Game Pass with 4m Predicted New Subs

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Key Takeaways

  • Analysts have predicted that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 could bring in up to 4 million new Game Pass subs with its day one release.
  • The subscriptions will come at the cost of regular Call of Duty purchases.
  • Long-term monetization is valuable for Microsoft as the cost of AAA game development continues to increase.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is predicted to be a big win for Microsoft’s gaming service, bringing in as many as four million new subscribers.

Black Ops 6 is on track to be a major release for the series as it launches on Game Pass for PC and Xbox.

While Call of Duty’s reputation took a temporary beating with the maligned release of 2023’s Modern Warfare 3, the series is apparently too titanic to drop off after one single poorly-received game.

Analysts interviewed by gamesindustry.biz have predicted that Black Ops 6 — the first CoD game to launch on Game Pass on day one — will introduce up to 4 million new Game Pass subscribers.

While this is big news for Microsoft if realistic, the subscriptions might come at a cost. They’ll eat into a substantial chunk of what would usually be full purchases of the game, given that many of these new subscribers might have purchased the game otherwise.

Call of Duty and Long-Term Sales

Microsoft is clearly hoping its Activision acquisition will pay off in a big way, with Call of Duty titles as Game Pass centerpieces moving forward. The company will be looking to the CoD franchise’s reliable sales to recoup a large part of that initial investment.

Game Pass’ $1 trial period deal was removed just prior to Black Ops 6’s release, reducing the number of players hopping on, burning through the game in less than a week, and skipping out before renewal.

However, while missing out on a substantial amount of one-time Black Ops 6 purchases is a definite loss, being able to introduce millions of new players to Game Pass subscriptions could pay off in the long run for Microsoft.

Subscription models, battle passes, and other forms of long-term monetization are increasingly valued as the cost of AAA game production continues to skyrocket. If Call of Duty proves to be a significant win for Game Pass, Microsoft will likely continue the search for big-name titles to add to the service.