Xbox Sees Benefits from Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Launch on Game Pass, But Impact on Call Of Duty Remains Unclear

Analysis of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Xbox Game Pass

A recent report from The Game Business evaluates Microsoft’s strategic choice to include Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in its Xbox Game Pass lineup. The outcomes appear to be a blend of successes and setbacks. While the integration has seemingly benefited the Xbox platform overall, it has not significantly enhanced the performance of the Call of Duty franchise itself.

Player Engagement Metrics at Launch

Upon its release, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 drew impressive player numbers, with approximately 33.7 million individuals engaging with the game. This marks a noteworthy increase of 13 million compared to the underwhelming performance of Modern Warfare 3, and a commendable rise of 2.5 million over the previous strong title, Modern Warfare 2, which debuted in 2022, according to data from Ampere Analysis.

Impact on Xbox Game Pass Subscriptions

The arrival of Black Ops 6 notably stimulated Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. Despite PlayStation maintaining a greater market share, this influx of players has been instrumental in sustaining Xbox’s competitive presence in the gaming landscape. Furthermore, recent figures from Circana reveal an 11% growth in Game Pass subscribers during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, indicating that many players have continued to explore the diverse offerings available through the service.

Decline in Call of Duty’s Player Base

However, the enthusiasm for Black Ops 6 has not translated into sustained engagement with the title. Following its launch, active players on Xbox experienced a decline of about 10%.The current active player count for Call of Duty has settled at approximately 20.6 million, slightly below the 20.8 million recorded in 2023, suggesting a downward trend compared to previous years.

The Bigger Picture for Xbox and Call of Duty

Although Call of Duty remains a powerhouse with over 20 million active players, the reality is striking: the launch of Black Ops 6 generated more buzz than its immediate aftermath. Despite bolstering Game Pass subscriptions, the game did not effectively drive substantial growth for its core player base.

Considering that Call of Duty now stands as a critical first-party title for Xbox, the expectation is that its success would reflect positively on the franchise as a whole. However, it raises concerns about the long-term viability of Call of Duty’s place in Xbox’s strategy that merely adding the franchise to its subscription service led to improvements only related to subscription numbers and not a significant increase in player retention.

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