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

"Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the biggest-selling game of the year in the United States for 2024, and it set a franchise record as well. However, the decision to make Black Ops 6 a day-one launch title for Xbox Game Pass reportedly cost the Call of Duty franchise millions of dollars. According to Bloomberg, a former Microsoft employee disclosed that Call of Duty console and PC sales were $300 million lower in 2024 than they were in 2023. As previously disclosed, 82% of all Black Ops 6 sales came from PlayStation consoles."

"One of the primary reasons Microsoft purchased COD publisher Activision Blizzard was to get new exclusive titles for Game Pass and drive the growth of that subscription service. However, Bloomberg's report notes that Game Pass' subscriber growth has slowed significantly since 2020, and Microsoft hasn't shared its subscriber numbers since it hit 34 million in February 2024."

"Microsoft 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. Lina Kahn--the ex-commission chair of the Federal Trade Commission who opposed Microsoft's Activision buyout--recently wrote that "Microsoft's acquisition of Activision has been followed by significant price hikes and layoffs, harming both gamers and developers.""

Black Ops 6 was the biggest-selling game in the United States for 2024 and set a franchise record. Day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass coincided with an estimated $300 million drop in Call of Duty console and PC sales year-over-year. PlayStation accounted for 82% of Black Ops 6 sales. Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard to add exclusive Game Pass titles and grow the subscription service, but Game Pass subscriber growth has slowed since 2020 and public subscriber figures have not been updated since 34 million in February 2024. Microsoft announced Game Pass price increases including a $30 monthly Ultimate tier for day-one access. Black Ops 7 will launch on Game Pass Ultimate on November 14 with a public beta running through October 8, and a high-end official Call of Duty watch retails for nearly $1,000.

Read at GameSpot