Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Aims to Boost Game Pass Subscribers by a Mind-Blowing 4 Million

The Future of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Xbox Game Pass

As the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 approaches, the gaming world is eagerly awaiting its impact on Xbox Game Pass. With the game set to launch day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, industry analysts are predicting a significant surge in new subscribers for Microsoft’s subscription service.

A New Era for Xbox Game Pass

For the first time, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be a part of the Game Pass ecosystem, marking a crucial test for Microsoft’s subscription service strategy following its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year. Analysts believes that the game’s launch will bring in as many as 4 million new Game Pass members, but at the cost of up to 6 million sales.

The Impact on Game Sales

According to Wedbush Securities managing director Michael Pachter, the move could result in up to 6 million lost sales, as 25% of Game Pass subscribers may have bought the game anyway. This raises questions about how Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be monetized and whether there will be a greater emphasis on in-game monetization compared to previous entries in the franchise.

A New Monetization Model

Ampere’s head games analyst Piers Harding-Rolls believes that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will only attract a 10% increase in Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, equating to approximately 2.5 million new members. He notes that not all of these will be new users, as some will be upgrading from lower Game Pass tiers.

The Future of In-Game Monetization

Harding-Rolls points out that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is increasingly a live-service game that monetizes strongly through in-game purchases. This raises questions about how the game will be monetized and whether there will be a greater emphasis on in-game monetization.

PS4 and PlayStation

As for the impact on PlayStation, Harding-Rolls doubts that the longer-term audience on PlayStation will be significantly disrupted. He believes that those who own both Xbox and PlayStation consoles may be swayed to play the game on Microsoft’s devices, but cross-platform play and multi-platform accounts mean that this is not a permanent decision.

The Verdict

As the game launches, it will be interesting to see how Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 performs on Game Pass and its potential impact on the gaming industry. One thing is certain – Microsoft will be trumpeting its numbers loudly if the game is a success, and gamers are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to experience the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise.