Now that Microsoft’s $69 billion buyout of Activision is finally complete, gamers wonder when their favorite franchises will appear on Xbox Game Pass. On the Official Xbox Podcast, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer claimed that players would see a slight drop in those titles after a while.
Spencer’s comments came after he discussed the company’s plans for its new gaming division, which focuses on PC and mobile gaming. Specifically, he said the company aims to make gaming available wherever gamers are. To do this, the new division will bring its games to existing platforms like Android and iOS. Likewise, it will also work with outside developers to help them port their games to new devices like the Surface Pro and the Nintendo Switch.
However, some gamers were concerned that Microsoft would take advantage of its new ownership of Activision to keep Call of Duty and other major Activision Blizzard games exclusive to Xbox. Rival Sony tried to block the acquisition by arguing that Microsoft could hold back games from PlayStation or release their inferior versions on the platform. But ultimately, the deal was approved by regulators across Europe and the United States.
Considering the long and winding regulatory battle that accompanied the deal, many gamers likely question how Microsoft will treat its newly acquired portfolio of games. And many of those questions revolve around when the company’s titles will appear on Xbox Game Pass.
In the short term, Activision Blizzard games like Call of Duty and Diablo won’t be coming to Game Pass this year. Spencer said those titles won’t be added to the service until 2023. He explained that the company had to “work through all the legal challenges” to complete the acquisition. In addition, he mentioned that the company needed more time to start working on the necessary groundwork to add those games to Game Pass before the end of this year.
He added that the arrival of those titles to Game Pass will likely be staggered, depending on factors like existing partnerships and marketing arrangements. He also noted that the arrival of brand-new Call of Duty and other big Activision Blizzard games would likely take longer than older titles because they’re more revenue-generating.
Lastly, Spencer addressed concerns that the arrival of Call of Duty and other Activision games on Xbox Game Pass could lead to declining traditional console sales, particularly among younger players. He said that the company is “all in on 100% parity” between consoles and aims to have an excellent experience for all gamers. He reiterated that point by saying that the company wouldn’t use Call of Duty to try to drive console sales in any way. That’s a great response to those fears, but it might not be enough to assuage some fans.
