When will Call of Duty be on Xbox Game Pass?

Phil Spencer, Xbox's CEO, previously announced that Call of Duty titles will be included in the Xbox Game Pass if the Microsoft-AVBK agreement is approved. Call of Duty and Xbox Game Pass are two of the most well-known gaming franchises today. Consequently, fans have been wondering for a long time when CoD will make its way onto Microsoft's popular game subscription service.

A crucial milestone was reached in July 2023 when Microsoft was authorized by the United States to proceed with the acquisition of Activision. As things stand, only a few more endorsements are required to seal the deal. Microsoft's unexpected purchase is set to significantly alter the future trajectory of the Call of Duty franchise.

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Speculated release date of Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass logo (Image via xbox.com)

If the pattern of other third-party titles joining Xbox Game Pass is any indicator, the earliest Call of Duty players can realistically hope for is 2024. This is because most major third-party publishers have delayed introducing their new flagship releases on Game Pass for approximately two years following their first release.

After Microsoft and AVBK complete their agreement, CoD will undoubtedly be added to the Game Pass catalog. Although the recent victory over the United States' FTC is a step forward, Microsoft's legal fights are far from over. They are yet to receive approval from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, which has delayed the agreement due to concerns about cloud gaming.

If the purchase goes through, Microsoft will have a dominant position in the cloud gaming sector and may constitute a monopoly, according to the CMA. Getting CMA's approval is a significant challenge, but if they approve the agreement, COD will be included in the Game Pass.

2024 could be an intriguing year because that is when the deal is expected to be scrutinized more closely by regulators. Placing CoD on Game Pass in 2024 may support Microsoft's case that the famous brand will be available on several platforms.

Black Ops 3 (Image via Activision)

Another possibility is that Call of Duty titles from 2016 to 2020, such as Black Ops 3, Black Ops 4, and Modern Warfare 2019, will be added to Game Pass before 2024 to help fill out the catalog.

However, based on industry precedent, fans should not expect the most recent COD titles, particularly ones released in 2022 and 2023, to arrive on Game Pass until late 2024, at the very least. That said, 2024 appears to be a reasonable target date for the first Game Pass experience with CoD.