Microsoft is Banking on Call of Duty to Increase Game Pass Subscriptions, it’s Claimed

According to a new report, Microsoft is banking that Call of Duty will help to increase its game pass subscription numbers.

That’s according to The Verge’s Tom Warren, who has reported that sources have said that Microsoft is hoping that Call of Duty coming to Xbox Game Pass will help to grow its gaming revenue numbers. According to Warren, the company had a long debate as to whether or not they should put this year’s Call of Duty title, which will be Black Ops 6, into the subscription server. He continues to report that the “company is now gambling that it will help improve Game Pass subscriber numbers amid a busy holiday season for new Xbox games and a promising year ahead.”

Xbox announced that Black Ops 6 will be coming on day one for Game Pass subscribers in May 2024, making it the first Call of Duty title ever to go to a subscription service on the same day as its launch. Two months later, the company announced increases to its Game Pass subscription by as much as 25%. As of February 2024, the company reported that Xbox Game Pass had a total of 34 million paying customers across its three pricing tiers.

It’s evident that Microsoft wants Call of Duty to increase its Game Pass subscriptions and revenues; after all, it is a business, but the question is, by how much and for how long? Call of Duty is a mammoth franchise, but hoping that one game can substantially increase subscription numbers seems a bit of a reach.

The news comes following another round of layoffs at Microsoft, in which approximately 650 employees were laid off from its gaming division. According to an internal memo by Phil Spencer, these were mostly corporate and support functions, with reports online suggesting that mostly Activision Blizzard employees were affected.

Microsoft fully acquired Activision Blizzard in October 2023 for a total cost of $75.4 billion.

What do you think of the claims that Microsoft is banking on Call of Duty to increase its Game Pass subscribers? Let us know in the comments below on in our community forums!

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