For many years, Call of Duty has been THE cash cow for Activision, guaranteeing massive revenues. Since the acquisition by Microsoft, the shooter franchise has been part of the Xbox Game Pass. This has apparently had a noticeable impact on revenues.
What is known about the revenues? When Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was released in October 2024, the shooter managed to become a major hit – just like many other titles in the popular shooter franchise – including record for the most successful launch in Call of Duty history in terms of active players.
The very positive player numbers were certainly driven by the fact that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has been playable on the Xbox Game Pass from the start. During this time, Microsoft officials even reported a record increase in new subscribers.
According to a report from bloomberg.com, which is said to be based on the statements of a former Microsoft employee, the Game Pass integration has noticeably negatively impacted the revenues of the shooter.
Call of Duty – Black Ops 7 is also coming to Xbox Game Pass:
Specifically, Activision is said to have earned about $300 million less in 2024 from sales of Call of Duty for consoles and PCs than in 2023. That was roughly the price Microsoft paid to drive up the value of the Xbox Game Pass through Call of Duty.
According to Bloomberg, however, this price has only partially paid off. While there was a record increase in new customers, the average growth of the subscription service has reportedly declined significantly since 2020.
Fewer sales? More expensive subscription!
Are we now feeling the impact of this? On October 1, 2025, Microsoft significantly raised the prices for the Game Pass again. Those who want to experience Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 via the Xbox subscription starting November 14, 2025, will need to budget at least €14.99 per month for the service (instead of €11.99 or €12.99).
With this price increase, Microsoft may be trying to offset some of the lost sales revenues due to the subscription service. However, there is currently no official confirmation of this assumption.
The danger, of course, is that they overreach with the monthly fee and scare away many interested players. This is reflected in some reactions to the recent price increases: The Game Pass is now significantly more expensive, players complain: “Now even PS Plus seems like a good deal”
