As Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard heads towards a conclusion, many fans of the Call of Duty franchise are curious to see the immediate impact of the deal. With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III set to release next month, there has been a lot of speculation about whether it will arrive on Xbox Game Pass. Activision Blizzard has now addressed that possibility, noting in a statement on Twitter that there are no plans for Modern Warfare III to come to the platform at this time. However, the company noted that other games from the publisher will likely come to Game Pass in the near future.
“It’s awesome to see anticipation building for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. As we continue to work toward regulatory approval of the Microsoft deal, we’ve been getting some questions whether our upcoming and recently launched games will be available via Game Pass,” the company wrote on Twitter.
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“While we do not have plans to put Modern Warfare III or Diablo IV into Game Pass this year, once the deal closes, we expect to start working with Xbox to bring our titles to more players around the world. And we anticipate that we would begin adding games into Game Pass sometime in the course of next year.”
Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass
Today’s statement specifically states that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III isn’t coming to Xbox Game Pass (at least not this year), yet it also leaves the door wide open for other games in the franchise. Microsoft has made a habit of bringing all of its first-party games to Xbox Game Pass; we’ve seen it a lot this year alone, with games like Hi-Fi Rush, Redfall, and Starfield. It’s likely that future Call of Duty entries will similarly be made available day one on Xbox Game Pass, and it’s a safe bet that we’ll see previous games in the series added, as well. That could greatly extend the value of the service, and potentially get newcomers to try the franchise.
Activision on Xbox Game Pass
While much of the attention has been on Call of Duty coming to Xbox Game Pass, Activision Blizzard owns a lot of other games and franchises that could be brought over. In the nearly two years since the acquisition was announced, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has frequently discussed the Activision games and properties he’d like to see given a second chance under the Xbox umbrella. Spencer has specifically mentioned games like Hexen and King’s Quest, and bringing those titles to Xbox Game Pass first could generate new interest. Of course, Activision Blizzard also owns franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, both of which would seem like perfect all-ages games to make available through the service.ย
Are you disappointed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III won’t be on Xbox Game Pass? What Activision Blizzard games do you want to see on the service? Share yourthoughtswith medirectly onTwitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
