Call of Duty Games Will Not Join Game Pass Instantly After Activision Merger

Activision Blizzard’s biggest IPs, including Call of Duty and Diablo, are expected to arrive on Xbox Game Pass following Microsoft’s $68.7 billion merger.

These inclusions would ensure easier access to such IPs, contributing to Microsoft’s goal of reaching more people through the worldwide Xbox ecosystem. However, Call of Duty, in particular, may not be able to join the service anytime soon.

According to Phil Spencer, it may take a while to add the popular first-person shooter franchise to the subscription.

Why it matters: Call of Duty is a massive annual gaming franchise, and each new release is known to drive record-breaking sales and revenue for Activision.

In a recent interview with IGN, Phil Spencer addressed various aspects of Xbox and the gaming giant’s future in the market.

This also led to a discussion about Activision Blizzard and the impact of Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass. While talking about Call of Duty games coming on the subscription, Phil Spencer clarified it would not be an immediate process.

Instead, more work would be needed to ensure a smooth transition for the first-person shooter franchise. He further stated:

 “For people who think the deal’s going to close, then everything’s available, that’s not true.”

Phil Spencer elaborated that ‘mechanical work’ is required to be completed after the merger closes, leading to an unspecified delay before Xbox and PC users gain access to Call of Duty in their Xbox Game Pass libraries.

Still, the prospect of having nearly every Call of Duty game in one subscription is enticing enough that the wait may be worth it. This is largely possible thanks to the Xbox backward compatibility, which ensures older games are playable on new consoles.

In the case of the latest Call of Duty offerings, a document has noted that Microsoft would not be able to provide these games on Xbox Game Pass till 2025, but this still leaves several games that could bring new subscribers to Xbox Game Pass.

The road to completing the Activision Blizzard merger has not been easy, but Microsoft is closer than ever to ownership of the gaming giant.

Having sold streaming rights for Activision games to Ubisoft recently, the gaming giant has restructured the deal to address concerns from the CMA and now hopes to earn approval before the October deadline.