Call of Duty May Leave Xbox Game Pass, Insider Claims

Microsoft may be reconsidering one of Xbox Game Pass’ biggest selling points, with insiders suggesting that Call of Duty might not launch day-and-date on the service this year.

According to Jez Corden, an editor at Windows Central, there is a “possibility” that Microsoft will remove Call of Duty from Game Pass at launch, a move that could signal a shift in the company’s strategy following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard King.

Corden made the claim during a recent episode of the XB2+1 Show podcast, stating that Microsoft is internally exploring the idea of not bringing Call of Duty to Game Pass on day one. He emphasized that while the change is not confirmed, it is being discussed as a potential response to financial and sustainability concerns tied to the service’s current model.

It’d be interesting to see if they take Call of Duty out of Game Pass this year, which is a possibility from what I’ve heard. I think it’ll kind of reveal some of the cracks in the strategy, possibly… Game Pass has disrupted Call of Duty’s business model in a pretty negative way.

Jez Corden, Windows Central

Corden explained that Microsoft uses a “member weighted” formula to allocate Game Pass revenue back to studios. When a major title like Call of Duty launches on the service, it consumes a significant portion of that revenue pool, leaving less available month-over-month for new content development. This dynamic, he argued, can hinder the ability to prevent subscriber churn by limiting the frequency of fresh releases.

At the same time, Corden noted that offering Call of Duty for “cheaper” through Game Pass — effectively removing the need for individual purchases — may also harm the franchise’s long-term revenue potential, creating a tension between subscriber growth and studio profitability.

The potential shift comes after Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, which was partly justified by the promise of bringing major franchises like Call of Duty into the Game Pass ecosystem as a long-term pillar. Early titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 were promoted as benefiting from day-one availability on the service, with Treyarch highlighting increased player engagement and accessibility.

However, subsequent reports have indicated that Microsoft may have incurred substantial opportunity costs, with some analyses suggesting the company lost hundreds of millions in potential sales by launching high-profile titles on Game Pass instead of selling them at full price.

As of now, Microsoft has not officially confirmed any changes to the day-one release strategy for Call of Duty on Game Pass. The company continues to promote the service as a value-driven platform for accessing new and library titles, including recent additions from the Activision Blizzard portfolio.

Industry observers note that any departure from the day-one model would represent a notable evolution in Microsoft’s approach to balancing subscription revenue, studio incentives, and franchise sustainability in the post-acquisition era.