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- Black Ops 7 pre-order numbers are expected to be worse than those of Black Ops 6.
- A prominent insider says this is likely why Xbox has raised Game Pass pricing so significantly.
- Activision has also introduced an SBMM-free playlist in the beta as it attempts to appeal to as many players as possible.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 became the first entry in the franchise to launch on Game Pass last year. At the same time, the game boasted record-breaking figures across all platforms, signalling a major success for Xbox and Activision.
Unfortunately, the reception to its successor has been much worse so far. In fact, it seems Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 pre-orders are down by quite a lot compared to last year’s entry.
Why it matters: Call of Duty almost never performs poorly, so a decline in pre-order numbers indicates major red flags for the upcoming entry.
Speaking to Xbox Era, The Verge’s Tom Warren explained that Microsoft would not have raised Xbox Game Pass prices so much without a significant decline in Call of Duty pre-orders.
He stated that PlayStation contributed the most to actual game sales last year, and pre-orders across the board are likely down this year. Tom Warren even reckons that there is a correlation between how much worse Black Ops 7 is doing and the figure by which Xbox raised Game Pass prices.
They must be down. I’m fairly sure that Call of Duty pre-orders are down.
-Tom Warren
In the worst-case scenario, although unlikely, Black Ops 7 pre-orders could be close to 50% behind last year’s entry. Still, it’s not hard to believe that Call of Duty isn’t doing as great this year.
The franchise has left behind various brand promotions and crossover opportunities in an attempt to appeal to longtime fans. Call of Duty has even offered a new playlist with very loose skill-based matchmaking in the beta, something the community has been asking for since 2019.
These changes would not have happened without good reason, so Tom Warren’s statement does hold a lot of weight.
Ultimately, it seems Xbox Game Pass has handicapped Call of Duty, and it doesn’t help that Black Ops 7’s general perception is much worse than that of Black Ops 6. Also, the competition from Battlefield 6 is particularly intense this year.
What do you think about the insider’s statement? Have you pre-ordered Black Ops 7? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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