Microsoft’s Strategic Approach to Game Pass and Call of Duty Titles
Over a year has passed since Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, including its extensive array of studios and intellectual properties. Despite this, the tech giant has gradually integrated only a select few games from this acquisition into its Game Pass service. While players have enjoyed several classic titles, most new offerings have primarily featured recent releases, such as Black Ops 6 and Diablo IV. However, this trend may be shifting soon.
New Additions to the Microsoft Store
Recently, Microsoft made a subtle yet notable move by listing three classic PC titles from Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty franchise on the Microsoft Store. These titles include:
- Call of Duty (including the United Offensive expansion)
- Call of Duty 2
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
This launch of classic titles often precedes announcements of their availability on Game Pass, as seen with iconic releases like the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.
Additional Call of Duty Games Enter the Fray
In an exciting development, four additional Call of Duty titles have appeared on the Microsoft Store, now accessible to PC gamers:
Pricing and Multiplayer Limitations
As has become customary with Activision, the pricing remains consistent, with each title retailing for $60, paralleling costs found on Steam. Additionally, all these titles feature a disclaimer indicating that “this is a classic Call of Duty experience”and notably state that “cross-platform Multiplayer is not supported.”This limitation means that players on the Microsoft Store will not be able to engage with their counterparts on Steam. However, Xbox Achievements and cloud saves are enabled; unfortunately, integrations such as Xbox Play Anywhere are absent.
Looking Ahead: Potential Game Pass Expansion
With Microsoft’s recent announcements about the final wave of Xbox Game Pass games for 2024, speculation is mounting that a substantial influx of Call of Duty titles could be on the horizon as we enter the new year. Gamers are eager for fresh content and this could signify an exciting development for the franchise within the Game Pass ecosystem.
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