Highlights

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will release on all Xbox Game Pass tiers except Game Pass Core, bringing major excitement to subscribers.
  • Microsoft reassures subscribers about Game Pass pricing, confirming there will be no increase for now.
  • Rumors of new Game Pass tiers are circulating, but Black Ops 6's launch should be a highlight for fans.

Amid months of rumors and speculation to the contrary, Microsoft has confirmed that the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will release on all applicable tiers of Xbox Game Pass day one, like the rest of its first-party titles. As exciting as it may be, this update doesn't necessarily rule out the potential of any other major changes to Game Pass to accommodate the release of Activision games on the service. It does, however, provide reassurance to the existing subscribers who might've been afraid of having to upgrade to a more expensive tier of Game Pass just to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 day one.

With Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard having closed back in October 2023, the prospect of major franchises like Call of Duty hitting Game Pass has been a long time coming in the eyes of many fans. Fortunately, the benefits of this deal are beginning to bear fruit in a major way for subscribers to Xbox's flagship subscription service. Just recently, Microsoft officially confirmed its intentions to release the newly-announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Game Pass day one. And now, in order to clear things up, the company has provided additional details about which tiers of Game Pass the upcoming title will be available on.

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In statements issued to Eurogamer and Geoff Keighley, Microsoft revealed that the next mainline installment in the Call of Duty franchise will be available "on Xbox and PC for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass for Console members." As one might expect, the only tier that won't include Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is Game Pass Core, due to it being the replacement for Xbox Live Gold and not including the majority of the subscription service's library of games.

Geoff Keighly reiterated in a follow-up tweet that, "per Microsoft," the pricing on all tiers of Game Pass remains the same, at least for now. Reports from reputable insiders like The Verge's Tom Warren have suggested that Microsoft might be considering another price hike for Game Pass, specifically regarding the Ultimate tier, but it appears that this won't be happening for the time being. Of course, it's entirely possible that Microsoft might announce a price increase of some sort later in the year, but at the very least, the company has reassured fans that Black Ops 6 won't be locked behind Game Pass Ultimate or a new, pricier tier of the service.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Launching On Most Tiers of Game Pass is a Huge Deal

Rumors have circulated in recent months that Microsoft is planning to launch a new Game Pass tier, like an ad-based one, among other things. It seems like this potential addition to the membership plans, however, will probably have no correlation to Activision titles in particular. Regardless of any changes that may occur to Xbox's subscription service, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's launch on Game Pass is a huge deal and will likely be a highlight of the year for many Xbox fans.