Microsoft may be preparing a major change to Xbox Game Pass, and it could directly affect one of the service’s biggest draws: Call of Duty. According to an insider report, the company is weighing whether future Call of Duty releases should still launch on Game Pass the same day they hit stores, particularly on the Ultimate and PC plans where day-one access has been positioned as a key benefit.
The talk comes as both sides of the equation appear to be under pressure. The shooter series isn’t delivering the same financial results it once did, and the subscription model may be part of the reason. When Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 became the first entry to arrive on Game Pass day one in 2024, estimates suggested the franchise left as much as $300 million on the table in lost revenue compared to a more traditional launch built around standalone sales.
The outlook surrounding Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 looks even tougher. Information that surfaced through a lawsuit involving former Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick pointed to a steep decline in sales, with Call of Duty reportedly dropping by 60% in 2025. That downturn lines up with other warning signs, including unusually low player counts on Steam for a series that typically dominates shooter charts. Competition has also been tighter than usual, with Battlefield 6 pulling attention away from what is normally one of the most anticipated annual releases in gaming.
From Microsoft’s perspective, this is happening at an awkward time. The company’s recent fiscal results indicated that content and services growth is losing momentum, including a 5% year-over-year quarterly revenue drop. If Call of Duty is no longer driving a meaningful wave of new Game Pass sign-ups, and if more players are choosing subscriptions over full-price purchases at launch, Microsoft has a strong incentive to rethink how it uses the franchise within Game Pass.
One of the most talked-about possibilities is removing Call of Duty’s day-one availability from the top tiers, which could help Microsoft justify lower pricing or create more flexible Game Pass options. Another compromise reportedly on the table is timing: instead of launching on Game Pass immediately, new Call of Duty games could arrive months later. That approach would aim to protect early sales while still giving subscribers access later in the game’s lifecycle.
Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the message is clear: Microsoft is studying whether day-one Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass is actually helping the business—or quietly costing too much to keep as a standard feature.
