The announcement is expected during Microsoft's annual Xbox showcase on June 9, the source, who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the plans, revealed.
While Microsoft has yet to respond to a request for comment, The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the news.
This development follows Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the publisher of "Call of Duty," in a $69 billion deal that concluded late last year. The "Call of Duty" franchise, a first-person shooter series, has generated over $30 billion in lifetime revenue and is one of the most successful entertainment properties globally. Traditionally, Activision has released new editions of the game annually, priced at approximately $70 each in recent years.
The decision to include "Call of Duty" in Game Pass comes shortly after Xbox President Sarah Bond announced at a recent conference that the company plans to release all first-party Xbox games on Game Pass from their launch date.
Game Pass, Microsoft's subscription service, offers users access to a variety of games from Xbox and other developers for a monthly fee. In its efforts to compete with Sony's PlayStation consoles, Microsoft has aggressively expanded this Netflix-style game subscription service. As of February, Game Pass reported 34 million subscribers, an increase from 25 million in 2022.
Analysts suggest that adding "Call of Duty" to Game Pass could attract more subscribers but might impact the game's overall sales. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III," released in November 2023, is currently the second-best selling game of the year, following Sony's "Helldivers II," according to industry tracker Circana.
Source: Gadgets 360
