Microsoft Assures That Black Ops 6 Has Broken Every Call of Duty Series Record. Thanks to Activision's Acquisition of Blizzard, Xbox’s Results Shot Up

As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that Microsoft’s financial results for Q1 of FY 2025 have truly caught my attention. The surge in revenue from their gaming division, particularly due to Activision Blizzard’s titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, is nothing short of impressive.


Black Ops 6, have contributed significantly to these positive results and are leading the charge.

Large increase in revenue from games

In the initial quarter, Microsoft’s gaming division generated a revenue of approximately $5.62 billion – marking a significant 43% year-on-year increase. It’s important to mention that this growth is entirely attributable to Activision Blizzard, as their acquisition by the company was completed in October 2023.

During this timeframe, the console revenue picture seems less favorable, with Xbox sales generating approximately $525 million – a drop of 29% compared to the same period last year.

Additionally, it appears that Microsoft’s strategy of targeting a wide range of players is proving effective currently. As stated by the company’s CEO, Satya Nadella, “Sales of units on PlayStation and Steam increased by more than 60% compared to the same period last year”.

Game Pass with a new record

The overall revenue from the company’s services rose by 61%, with a significant 53 percentage point boost coming from Activision. Moreover, the Xbox Game Pass subscription also played a role in this growth. Unfortunately, specific subscriber numbers weren’t disclosed, but it’s clear that the July price hike had an impact on the rise in profits. Nadella praised the performance of Game Pass and the gaming department as a whole in his positive remarks about the results.

“[Game Pass] achieved an unprecedented first-quarter revenue milestone, both in total earnings and average income per subscriber.

Black Ops 6 is the biggest premiere of the franchise

It appears that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has performed exceptionally well, surpassing last year’s Modern Warfare 3 in this regard. Interestingly enough, it holds the record for the largest launch in the series history, significantly influencing the number of Game Pass subscribers.

In an unprecedented move, Black Ops 6 marked the largest debut in the history of the Call of Duty franchise. This groundbreaking release broke records by boasting the highest number of players on its first day and also attracting a record-setting number of new Game Pass subscribers on launch day.

It’s important to note that, as of its debut in 2023, the entire Call of Duty series has sold more than 500 million copies.

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2024-10-31 17:32