Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a hot topic after Microsoft announced that it will increase the price of Xbox Game Pass and introduce a new standard tier that does not include day one releases.
Microsoft announced on July 9, 2024 that it is raising the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate globally, specifically from $16.99 to $19.99 per month in the US. The price changes are effective for new members on July 10, 2024, and for existing members on September 12, 2024.
The more basic $10.99 Xbox Game Pass Console tier will also “soon” be replaced by Xbox Game Pass Standard, a $14.99 option that doesn’t include the beloved first edition feature, “specific entries in the Game Pass library Ultimate”, access to EA Play, Xbox Cloud Gaming, bonuses, missions and game discounts in the Game Pass library.
The price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was last increased in 2023 from $14.99 to $16.99, meaning that paying $14.99 per month for Xbox Game Pass therefore brings in significantly fewer users than just before a year, with Microsoft essentially removing Day 1 titles, EA Play, cloud gaming, and freebies from the service during that time.
But the lack of Day 1 titles at the recent standard level is what upset some fans the most, especially since Call of Duty will finally appear as an Xbox Game Pass title with Black Ops 6 from 2024 after the acquisition of Activision Blizzard from Microsoft for $68.7 billion.
Microsoft has been accused of lying about the status of Black Ops 6 on Xbox Game Pass since in May 2024 the company confirmed it as a day one title and made no indication that players would not be able to access it with their current subscriptions.
“Upon launch, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be playable on Xbox and PC for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass for console members,” Microsoft said at the time.
However, this is true. Microsoft said Black Ops 6 will be available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Console. But it didn’t say that the top two would see price increases globally, or that the last, cheapest tier would be obsolete.
Microsoft can’t even guarantee that games like Black Ops 6 will eventually come to Xbox Game Pass Standard. Those titles “may be added to the library at a future date,” it said.
So the inference at the time that Black Ops 6 would be available via a $10.99 per month subscription is no longer true unless you are already subscribed to that tier, as new customers cannot sign up for it. Instead of that $10.99, the cheapest Game Pass tier through which Xbox console players can now access Black Ops 6 is the increased Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, at $19.99 per month.
Consequently, fans are a bit disappointed, with many saying they plan to cancel their Xbox Game Pass subscriptions once their current streak ends.
“No, no, we’re not changing Game Pass, we’re not doing a price increase, putting Black Ops 6 on Game Pass didn’t change Game Pass prices,” scoffed @CODWarfareForum on X/Twitter. “Two months later: Oh yeah, we lied again, we’re increasing Game Pass subscriptions and changing tiers.”
“Xbox Game Pass prices will increase by 25%, just in time for the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” said @GNGNewsCOD. “The new Xbox Game Pass pricing is basically the ‘Call of Duty day one tax’ and it’s getting really wild how expensive both PlayStation and Xbox subscriptions are getting,” @SynthPotato added. “It’s now official despite previous assurances that the standard version of Xbox Game Pass will not include day one titles like the next Call of Duty, Doom or Indiana Jones,” @oliver_drk said.
Others said they expected the release of Black Ops 6 to raise Game Pass prices, though they weren’t necessarily happy about it. “Makes too much sense…incoming COD,” SnatcherHunter told ResetEra. “Day 1 COD doesn’t sound so good now,” said ChEmIcAl_KeEn on Reddit.
“I thought it was going to happen in September before Call of Duty. Monthly costs add up,” said @Otikage on X/Twitter. “There was an expected price increase though, all these studios to take care of. I’m sure the price will just keep going up with more acquisitions.”
Rumors of a jump have been circulating since May 2024, essentially since Microsoft announced that Black Ops 6 would be coming as a day one title. The price hike also comes after Microsoft shuttered entire studios, including Hi-Fi Rush and Ghostwire developer Tokyo Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin.
Ryan Dinsdale is a freelance reporter for IGN. He’ll be talking about The Witcher all day.
