Microsoft Insists It Won't Lock Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Behind a New Game Pass Tier at Launch

ign.com:

Amid speculation Microsoft plans to launch a new, more expensive tier of Game Pass, the company has confirmed Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will be playable upon launch on all existing tiers.

This week, Microsoft announced the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 day-one on Xbox Game Pass. It is the first Call of Duty game to do so, and follows Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft has faced tough questions around the potential cannibalization effect of Game Pass, particularly on games that launch on the service day-one. While Xbox executives have insisted sales can be boosted by a game’s presence on Game Pass, some publishers remain unconvinced. Former Activision boss Bobby Kotick, for example, was always against putting Call of Duty into subscription services. Unlike Microsoft, console rival Sony does not release its new exclusives straight into its subscription service.

Speculation is rife that Microsoft plans to make significant changes to Game Pass to accommodate the launch of Black Ops 6 straight into the service. Some have wondered whether Microsoft planned to launch a new, more expensive tier of Game Pass strictly for day-one titles, locking the likes of Black Ops 6 behind it in the process.

However, a statement issued to Eurogamer by a Microsoft spokesperson ruled that out, at least for the launch of Black Ops 6 later this year.

"Upon launch, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be playable on Xbox and PC for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass for Console members," a Microsoft spokesperson told IGN.

It’s worth digging into what this statement does not say, as much as what it does say. For a start, it does not rule out a price hike for any or all tiers currently available to subscribers. The statement leaves room for Microsoft to charge more ahead of the launch of Black Ops 6, if it feels that is the correct step.

Similarly, the statement leaves room for Microsoft to make changes to the existing tiers while making Black