Xbox Game Pass is arguably the best gaming subscription in the industry. Microsoft differentiates the service from other subscriptions by offering day-one AAA titles, and this includes first-party games.
Upcoming releases like Starfield will add further value to the service. Microsoft is currently in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard, and this would allow the gaming giant to offer Activision’s IPs on the subscription service.
Following the acquisition’s announcement, some fans raised concerns about a potential price increase. However, Microsoft recently clarified that games like Call of Duty would not lead to a price increase for Xbox Game Pass.
Why it matters: The subscription’s $10/month price is one of the most appealing parts of the service. As such, fans hope that Microsoft will retain this price in the future.
According to a recent court filing, the Activision Blizzard acquisition will allow Call of Duty to join the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. However, this addition would also not lead to any price increase.
Recently, Activision reported over $2.38 billion in quarterly revenue. While a large part of the revenue came from mobile games, Call of Duty was a huge contributor to this revenue on consoles and PC.
The IP has been popular for over a decade, selling millions of copies with each new release. Activision also makes profits from microtransactions in Call of Duty. As such, the IP would be crucial to a service like Xbox Game Pass.
While Xbox Game Pass is considered a success, the service missed its subscription target by 10 million users in 2022. An IP like Call of Duty would lead to a massive surge of subscribers, bringing more success to the service.
As such, fans will be glad to know that Microsoft does not plan to increase the price of Xbox Game Pass if the merger goes through. However, a report also claims Microsoft would not release Call of Duty on the service before 2025.
It should be noted that Microsoft’s statement does not mean that Xbox Game Pass prices will never go up. Previously, Phil Spencer has hinted at a price hike, claiming Microsoft may need to eventually increase prices on certain things.
Still, the court document means that the Activision Merger will not be the cause of a price hike. Previously, the CMA blocked the merger, but Microsoft received approval from the European Commission.
Following these decisions, the FTC has filed an injunction which is expected to speed up the process of arriving at the final verdict for all parties involved.
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