Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 May Add 2.5-4 Million Subscribers to Xbox's Game Pass

The integration of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 into Xbox's Game Pass is expected to have a dual impact: it may lead to reduced game sales, but it will also attract millions of new subscribers to the service. The true measure of success, however, will depend on Xbox's ability to retain these subscribers beyond the initial launch period. According to Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter, incorporating Call of Duty into Game Pass could result in up to six million lost sales, assuming 25% of Game Pass subscribers would have purchased the game otherwise. Nevertheless, he forecasts that this move could bring in between three to four million new subscribers. Pachter views this development as 'good overall for Microsoft and consumers,' despite potential headlines suggesting a decline in Call of Duty sales. Ampere's chief games analyst, Piers Harding-Rolls, offers a more conservative estimate, predicting a 10% increase in Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, which translates to approximately 2.5 million new users. He notes that not all of these subscribers will be entirely new, as some will be upgrading from lower tiers of the service. Harding-Rolls acknowledges that while there will be some lost premium sales, this can be offset through other forms of monetization. The removal of the 14-day $1 trial offer, he believes, indicates Microsoft's intent to maximize subscription revenue from the introduction of Call of Duty. Newzoo market analyst Brett Hunt expects Black Ops 6 to attract a stronger audience this year compared to Modern Warfare 3, partly due to its inclusion in Game Pass but also because of its well-received campaign and multiplayer features. The impact on PlayStation, given the end of the exclusivity agreement and the unavailability of Game Pass on the platform, is a topic of discussion. Analysts agree that the success of this move hinges on Xbox's ability to retain new subscribers beyond the launch period and implement strategies to engage them throughout 2025.