Xbox will make changes to the current Game Pass subscription model when the next Call of Duty game is released, it’s claimed.
Last week the Wall Street Journal claimed, according to its sources with knowledge of the situation, that this year’s entry – which has yet to be officially announced – will be included in the subscription service.
This would mark the first time a Call of Duty game has been included in such a service at launch, and would mean for players with access to Xbox platforms, the entry cost for the game would be as little as $11, as the subscription model currently stands.
However, industry insider Shinobi602 has claimed onResetEra that the addition of Call of Duty to Game Pass will also give Xbox the opportunity to refresh the structure accordingly.
One user on the forum predicted that there would be a price increase for Game Pass, while another added: “For sure, they want the new sign-ups they get from COD to be on the new fee and will probably reorganise the tiers to be a less confusing mess than it is now.”
While Shinobi602 didn’t specifically confirm a price increase or a tier restructure, they did say: “There will be changes, yes.”
Call of Duty’s inclusion on the service was a long-held sticking point in the protracted court battles following the merger of Xbox and Activision–Blizzard.
Each year’s entry is almost always the year’s best-selling game, which Sony suggested would give Microsoft an unfair advantage if it was to offer it to PlayStation players at full price.
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced plans to hold an Xbox Games Showcase on June 9, followed by another digital presentation for a ‘redacted’ game.
According to The Verge, that game is the new Call of Duty, and publisher Activisionis said to be targeting a late October release for the title.
Blizzard Entertainment
Activision
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Xbox Game Studios (Microsoft)
Chris Scullion