Phil Spencer on Potentially Bringing Call of Duty and Other Activision Blizzard Games to Game Pass

ign.com:

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has shed some light to IGN on Microsoft's deal to acquire Activision Blizzard and if that would mean Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard games would arrive on Xbox Game Pass on day one.

When talking about the decision to sell cloud streaming rights to Ubisoft to appease the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), we asked him if that had any impact on us playing Call of Duty via Xbox Game Pass once the deal closes. While he didn't address the Call of Duty part of it directly, he did touch upon the work it takes behind the scenes when an acquisition happens.

"I want to make sure people know that there's work to actually move games to Game Pass," Spencer said. "So, for the people who think the deal is going to close and then everything's available, that's not true. And it hasn't been true in other acquisitions that we've done. There's work for us to go do, just mechanical work for us to go do. So, it'll take us time, definitely time to get the games in the portfolio."

Speaking of Call of Duty, we spoke a bit more about the franchise that is getting set to release its newest entry in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III later this year. In regard to the franchise's arrival on Xbox Game Pass, which may not be possible until January 2025 under agreements from June, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick previously stated that he doesn't agree with "the idea of a multi-game subscription service as a business proposition."

While that may seem like a roadblock, Spencer laughed when we asked how he'd handle their different ideologies when the deal closes. In addition, Spencer took the time to discuss his team's philosophy on Xbox Game Pass and why not every game is a good fit for the service.

"Well,