A recent report from The Game Business reviewed Microsoft’s move to include Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Xbox Game Pass and its outcomes, revealing mixed results. On the positive side, it sounds like the decision was a win for Xbox as a whole. But it does not appear to have affected the game itself very much.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Launching on Game Pass Pays Off for Xbox, But Fails to Boost the Game’s Growth
On release day, Call of Duty: Black Ops attracted 33.7 million players, 13 million more than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and 2.5 million more than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The launch of the game has seen an uptick in Game Pass subscriptions, consistency in an increase in Xbox gamers playing Call of Duty, and the inherent, yet still not solved problem in which PlayStation still outranks Xbox, but the war on being able to play the game immediately for “free” helped Xbox stay decent in the overall battle.
Fast-forward to today, and Game Pass subscriptions saw an 11% increase in Q1 2025 compared to the previous year, benefiting from players who joined for Call of Duty and then explored the wider Game Pass library. This bodes well for the Xbox ecosystem. However, those players who signed up to play Call of Duty haven’t remained active with the game. Player numbers for Call of Duty on Xbox dropped by 10% following Black Ops 6’s release, and the player base has significantly decreased compared to previous Call of Duty launches.
Despite Call of Duty remaining a massive title with over 20 million active players, its current player count stands at 20.6 million, slightly lower than 2023’s 20.8 million. While more players played Black Ops 6 at launch than its predecessor, the game’s active player base has fallen below two years ago. Adding Call of Duty to Game Pass boosted Xbox subscriptions but didn’t significantly grow the game’s player base.
Since Call of Duty is now an Xbox first-party title, the assumption is that benefits for Xbox should also translate to benefits for Call of Duty. However, its relatively underwhelming growth post-Game Pass addition raises questions about the future of this pivotal series for Xbox.
FAQs
Did Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 help increase Xbox Game Pass subscriptions?
Yes, Black Ops 6 contributed to an 11% increase in Game Pass subscriptions in early 2025.
Did Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 improve the game’s player base on Xbox?
No, despite the Game Pass boost, the number of active players for Black Ops 6 has declined by 10%.
