Call Of Duty Lost $300 Million In Sales Due To Game Pass - Report

The news article discusses the impact of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 being a day-one launch title on Xbox Game Pass. According to a former Microsoft employee, the decision resulted in a $300 million decrease in Call of Duty console and PC sales in 2024 compared to 2023. 82% of Black Ops 6 sales came from PlayStation consoles. Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the publisher of Call of Duty, was partly to drive the growth of Game Pass. However, the report notes that Game Pass' subscriber growth has slowed significantly since 2020, and Microsoft hasn't shared subscriber numbers since February 2024. Additionally, Microsoft has recently announced price hikes for Game Pass, including a $30 monthly fee for Game Pass Ultimate to get titles like Black Ops 7 on day one. Former FTC chair Lina Kahn has criticized these changes, stating that they are "harming both gamers and developers." The article also mentions that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will be available on Game Pass Ultimate upon its launch on November 14, 2024, and that a high-end Call of Duty watch is now available for nearly $1,000.