Microsoft will be introducing Activision’s latest Call of Duty game as part of this summer’s Xbox Games Showcase, airing on June 9, but it’s unclear whether the new installment will launch as a day-one title on Xbox Game Pass (or even show up on the subscription service at all) due to revenue concerns, according to a new report that discusses the “turmoil” that Microsoft is facing amid its decision to shutter multiple Bethesda studios. The Windows and Xbox maker is also reportedly considering giving Game Pass Ultimate another price hike, while others say the company will be laying off additional employees across Xbox as part of its cutback plans.
One reporter said:
- “Microsoft has…had internal debates about whether to put new releases of Call of Duty into Game Pass.”
- “….this is a debate that has been ongoing internally for quite some time, with concerns from some that the revenue that Call of Duty typically generates for Activision Blizzard will be undermined by Game Pass.”
- “I’m told that Microsoft has also considered increasing the price of Game Pass Ultimate again.”
- “These are only considerations, so a final decision could mean we still see a future Call of Duty release appear in most versions of Game Pass.”
From another report:
This week, Xbox began offering voluntary severance agreements to producers, quality assurance testers and other staff at ZeniMax, which it purchased in 2020 for $7.5 billion, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. Others across the Xbox organization have been told that more cuts are on the way.