Call of Duty 2024 will launch into Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft has reportedly decided

Microsoft plans to launch this year’s Call of Duty via Xbox Game Pass for the first time, in a first for the franchise.

That’s according to The Wall St Journalwhich today reported that Microsoft had now made the decision ahead of the game’s formal unveiling next month.

While Xbox has always brought new first-party games to Xbox Game Pass on day one, and Activision Blizzard is now a Microsoft first-party publisher following the completion of its $68.7bn takeover, there had still been a question mark over whether Call of Duty would be included.

Alongside FIFA, now EA Sports FC, Call of Duty remains one of the most reliable franchises to still sell millions each year – and every year. Including it in Microsoft’s subscription service will make a dent in that sales revenue – but it will also undoubtedly help drive sign-ups to the subscription service.

Key questions now are whether Xbox Game Pass remains at its current price point, or whether Call of Duty might only be included in a price tier.

“This is the right move for Microsoft because it’s a multi-platform title that is being sold for $70 outside of the subscription and because it’s a live service title with in-game purchases,” games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad wrote. “That model can also work for other Xbox first party games.”

This year’s Call of Duty remains unannounced, although it is widely expected to be a fresh Black Ops entry set in the early 1990s during the Gulf War. Microsoft will detail more about the game next month, dedicating an entire hour to it following its main Xbox Showcase event on 9th June.

That event, timed during the old E3 week, will also see Microsoft show off some of its other 2024 titles, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Avowed, as well as further off projects. It will also be an opportunity for Microsoft to turn the page on a particularly bruising period marked by layoffs, lackluster console sales, Bethesda studio closures, and the decision to begin launching Xbox exclusives on PlayStation and Switch – something which has not been universally popular within the company.