Xbox Rumored to Remove Call of Duty from Day-One Game Pass

Rumors circulating in forums and multiple outlets claim Microsoft is weighing a move to stop putting Call of Duty on day-one Game Pass, a change Bloomberg reportedly values as roughly $300 million in lost sales. The $300 million figure is the headline consequence cited in Nordic IGN’s summary of Bloomberg reporting and has driven fresh debate about how Game Pass placement affects Activision titles.

Microsoft has pushed back in public statements while keeping some day-one commitments in place. Nordic IGN relayed a Microsoft comment to Windows Central: "We are actively investing in our future first‑party consoles and devices designed, engineered and built by Xbox. For more details, the community can revisit our agreement announcement with AMD." That statement sits alongside an official News Xbox post that explicitly confirmed, "We're excited to confirm that Game Pass members will be able to jump into Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 on day one with Game Pass," and promoted an Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct on June 9, 2024 at 10am PT.

The wider business context adds weight to the dispute. BBC reporting notes Call of Duty has topped 425 million lifetime sales and that Microsoft paid $69 billion to acquire Activision Blizzard in 2023. The BBC also cited a Game Pass subscriber count of 34 million, observing that "not one of the 34 million Game Pass subscribers will have to pay anything extra to play the new game" if day-one placement remains. GamesIndustry.biz head Christopher Dring called the move a "significant move" for Microsoft and argued that streaming services face a structural issue because "people simply don't play as many games as they watch TV shows, so 'it can be hard to justify' paying to play one or two titles."

Community channels and tech press have amplified varying versions of the story. A Reddit post on r/CoDCompetitive by user TheRealPdGaming carried the blunt headline "# Rumour: Call of Duty is to be pulled from Day 1 Game Pass Release, under Xbox Restructure plans due to the leadership change." At the same time, Tweaktown cited Tom Warren at The Verge reporting plans to reshuffle Game Pass tiers in 2026, with a possible merger of Xbox Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass that "might lose access to day one games like Forza Horizon 6 and Fable in 2026." The tier discussion follows a controversial Ultimate price hike from $19.99 to $29.99 a month in October 2025 that Nordic IGN says provoked heavy criticism and coincided with Xbox removing some DLC discounts for subscribers.

Reporting across outlets also conflicts on which Call of Duty releases are affected. News Xbox publicly ties day-one Game Pass access to Black Ops 6 and the June 9, 2024 showcase, while Nordic IGN referenced Black Ops 7 as "set to launch as a day one Game Pass title this November" and claimed subscribers "won't get 10% off COD Points or the BlackCell battle pass upgrade." Those divergent references to Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, plus the Bloomberg $300 million figure, are the key specifics to watch as Microsoft and Activision issue further clarifications and as the June 9 event approaches. Expect official confirmation of any long-term Game Pass tier changes and concrete reconciliation of the reported sales impact before narrative on strategy solidifies.