When is Call of Duty coming to Xbox Game Pass?

Here's when Call of Duty arrived on Microsoft's popular subscription service

(Credit: Activision/Microsoft/The Shortcut)

Once Microsoft’s protracted takeover of Activision Blizzard was finally complete, the biggest question on everyone’s lips was: “When is Call of Duty coming to Xbox Game Pass?”

Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard means it now has access to a plethora of fantastic IPs and popular series, such as Diablo, Overwatch, Crash Bandicoot, and many more. But it’s the Call of Duty franchise that gets the tills ringing and continues to attract millions of players every single year.

Currently, you’ll have to shell out $70 for each new Call of Duty release – and that’s just for the standard version of the game (you can play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 for $11.99 using our guide). But thankfully, that won’t be the case for much longer as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can play Call of Duty on day one as part of their subscription.

Notice how we said Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members and not Xbox Game Pass Standard. Microsoft used to include all of its first-party games on Xbox Game Pass on the same day they were released, but that will soon no longer be the case.

From September 12, only Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members will get Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 as part of their subscription when it releases on October 25, 2024. That doesn’t mean Xbox Game Pass Standard members are completely left out, as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is now available.

When will Call of Duty come to Game Pass?

(Credit: Activision)

The first Call of Duty game arrived on Xbox Game Pass this year. Microsoft released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on Game Pass on July 24, which should pave the way for older entries to come to the service.

In terms of the next big entry in Activision’s series, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will launch on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 25 after Microsoft decided that Call of Duty will launch straight into Xbox Game Pass after much deliberation. The decision might seem easy to some, but it’s not too difficult to see why it struggled to reach this conclusion.

Call of Duty sells millions of copies every year and continues to be one of the most popular games by some margin. Putting the title on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass will cost Microsoft potentially millions in guaranteed sales, but it will hope Call of Duty’s presence on the subscription service will be more beneficial in the long term.

Will Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 be on Xbox Game Pass Standard?

No, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will only be available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and PC Game Pass on day one on October 25, 2024, but won’t be available to Xbox Game Pass Standard members. That’s a huge boon for Microsoft’s subscription service, which has seen new subscribers stagnate in recent years.

Again, it’s worth repeating that you won’t be able to access the game unless you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass member, which costs $19.99 a month or $11.99 a month, respectively.

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Will older Call of Duty games come to Game Pass?

(Credit: Activision)

Almost definitely. Microsoft quietly fixed the matchmaking servers of older Call of Duty games for Xbox 360, a move that likely indicates they’re coming to Xbox Game Pass soon. Older Call of Duty games remain extremely popular, especially for nostalgic fans who still enjoy playing online. It’s also fun to revisit the campaigns of earlier games if you prefer Call of Duty’s single-player mode.

Which Call of Duty games could come to Xbox Game Pass?

There are a myriad of Call of Duty titles that could be added to Xbox Game Pass in 2024, but there’s no guarantee Microsoft will want to bring every title into its subscription service straight away.

Fans will be expecting to see every Call of Duty title on Xbox Game Pass at some point, though, so here are all the Call of Duty games that could end up on Microsoft’s service.

• Call of Duty 2

• Call of Duty 3

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

• Call of Duty: World at War

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

• Call of Duty Black Ops

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

• Call of Duty: Ghosts

• Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered

• Call of Duty: WW2

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered (2020)

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

• Call of Duty: Vanguard

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) – added on July 24, 2024

Will Call of Duty games remain on PS5?

If you’re a PS5 owner, there’s no need to fret about the future of Call of Duty. Microsoft has signed a binding 10-year deal that will keep Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms, as well as bringing the games back to Nintendo consoles. Call of Duty will also be available on PC and eventually cloud services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox chief Phil Spencer also reiterated on the Official Xbox Podcast that there won’t be any exclusive content or perks for Xbox Series X|S Call of Duty players. Parity will remain with the PS5 versions so PlayStation gamers won’t get a lesser product or be locked off from certain content.

Last updated: July 29, 2024