Call of Duty to go to Game Pass in gaming shake-upMicrosoft has torn up the rules of big video game launches by announcing its most eagerly awaited new title - Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - will be available straight away to subscribers of its Game Pass service.
With the latest edition of Call of Duty, they will now have the option to pay a much smaller monthly subscription instead.
The tech giant has previously made games available to Game Pass subscribers on launch day - such as 2023's much-anticipated Starfield - but has never done so with a release anywhere near as significant as Call of Duty.
"Call of Duty is by far the biggest game to go into a subscription service on the day it is released," Mr Dring said.
"[It} is a big test for subscription, because if Call of Duty can't move the needle in terms of subscriber numbers, probably nothing will," he added.
Call of Duty to go to Game Pass in gaming shake-up
Microsoft has torn up the rules of big video game launches by announcing its most eagerly awaited new title - Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - will be available straight away to subscribers of its Game Pass service.
Traditionally, gamers have had to hand over significant sums of money upfront to buy big new releases outright.
With the latest edition of Call of Duty, they will now have the option to pay a much smaller monthly subscription instead.
GamesIndustry.biz head Christopher Dring told the BBC it was a "significant move" for Microsoft and the industry.
The tech giant has previously made games available to Game Pass subscribers on launch day - such as 2023's much-anticipated Starfield - but has never done so with a release anywhere near as significant as Call of Duty.
It is the fourth best-selling game series in history, topping 425m lifetime sales - and making tens of billions of dollars in the process.
It is arguably the jewel in the crown of developer Activision Blizzard which Microsoft controversially bought for a colossal $69bn (then £56bn) in 2023.
But rather than stick with the tried-and-tested model for selling it, Microsoft is gambling on a new approach.
"Call of Duty is by far the biggest game to go into a subscription service on the day it is released," Mr Dring said.
"[It} is a big test for subscription, because if Call of Duty can't move the needle in terms of subscriber numbers, probably nothing will," he added.
