At the same time, future Call of Duty installments will still appear in Game Pass, but roughly a year after release. The company says it intends to improve the service, but the current results of the latest shooter installment raise doubts.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 received a cold reception, which affected sales. According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella:
This is a bit late, but not surprising.
He noted that including the game in Game Pass did not lead to growth in Xbox sales or the number of subscriptions.
Piscatella also stated:
Adding it to Game Pass was intended to accelerate the service's growth. But this short-term spike in subscriptions could not be sustained.
The analyst believes that the price reduction may temporarily increase interest, but the long-term effect will depend on the content.
Content is one of the main drivers of subscriptions and cancellations.
Another expert, Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis, added that the data does not confirm a strong impact of Game Pass on Call of Duty sales, including sales on PlayStation.
Despite the changes, the Game Pass strategy remains key for Microsoft, but the company is increasingly adjusting its approach to releases and exclusivity for the sake of more stable results.