Black Ops 6 On Game Pass Helped Bring Back Lapsed Players, Activision Boss Says

As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming under my belt, I can confidently say that the integration of popular titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 into game subscription services like Game Pass is a game-changer (pun intended). Having been around since the days of dial-up modems and pixelated graphics, I’ve seen firsthand how such innovations have made gaming more accessible to a wider audience.


In their own words, the creative director of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 noted that Xbox Game Pass had a positive impact on the game’s debut, boosting player numbers in various ways.

In an interview with BBC, Miles Leslie explained that Game Pass had persuaded individuals who were undecided or hesitant about playing the game to give it a try. He further mentioned that people who hadn’t played a Call of Duty game for some time may have been enticed to “return and experiment with the game” due to Game Pass.

Leslie mentioned that after working on Black Ops and Call of Duty for 16 years, they’ve reached a stage where the question becomes: “How can we keep engaging the loyal CoD enthusiasts while also creating an atmosphere that invites new fans to join us?

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was released on October 25th, breaking several records for the number of concurrent players. Interestingly, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, highlighted that this game played a significant role in boosting Game Pass subscribers during its launch. If you are subscribed to Game Pass Ultimate ($20/month) or PC Game Pass ($12/month), you can access and play Black Ops 6 as part of your subscription for the duration of your active membership. The game is also available for direct purchase on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC platforms.

Previously, Strauss Zelnick, head of Take-Two Interactive, expressed his belief that Call of Duty could potentially boost Game Pass subscriptions for Microsoft temporarily. However, according to Zelnick, releasing a major new game on a subscription service seems incongruous and represents a missed chance for sales, which he refers to as a “lost opportunity.” It’s important to note that Zelnick operates a third-party publisher, and his perspectives may not align perfectly with Microsoft’s internal business strategies.

According to analyst Michael Pachter, if Microsoft adds Black Ops 6 to their Game Pass service, they might lose up to six million sales due to existing subscribers who would have purchased it regardless. However, he also suggests that this move could potentially attract around four million new Game Pass subscribers because of Black Ops 6.

So far, Microsoft hasn’t disclosed any details about the number of units sold for Black Ops 6. It’s important to note that this game can be played not only on Xbox but also on PlayStation and PC platforms. Remarkably, its sales in these platforms have been significantly higher year over year compared to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III from 2023.

Black Ops 6 kicks off its first major upgrade – Season 1 – on November 14. This update brings in fresh multiplayer maps and modes, as well as additional firearms and an unexpected melee weapon: a power drill! Additionally, November 14 marks the integration of Black Ops 6 into Call of Duty: Warzone, and the debut of the new Warzone map called Area 99.

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2024-11-08 17:39