Xbox CEO reveals bad news for fans that want COD on Game Pass

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer shared unfortunate news for Call of Duty fans, who want the series on Xbox Game Pass immediately after the Activision Blizard acquisition.

Microsoft’s nearly $70 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard took a surprising turn on August 22. Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard teamed up for a 15-year deal that will see Call of Duty and many other Activision games, such as Overwatch and Diablo, become available for streaming on the Ubisoft+ streaming subscription service.

Ubisoft acknowledged that the agreement does depend on the successful completion of the Activision Blizzard merger. Microsoft won its court case with the Federal Trade Commission, meaning the final obstacle standing in the way is the UK’s competition and market authority.

Spencer told Eurogamer that he remains confident in the restructured deal being approved. However, even if the purchase goes through, that doesn’t necessarily mean COD will immediately join Xbox’s Game Pass lineup.

Microsoft, Activision Blizzard

Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard still hangs in the balance.

Will Call of Duty be on Xbox Game Pass

In an interview with IGN, Spencer revealed that when the Activision Blizzard deal closes, Call of Duty won’t immediately be on Xbox Game Pass.

CharlieIntel shared a snippet from the IGN interview.

“There is actually work to do to move games to Game Pass. People think the deal closes, and it’s all on Game Pass. That’s not true. It will take us time to get the games on Game Pass.”

Adding insult to injury, It wasn’t possible for Modern Warfare 3 to be on Game Pass anyway, as CharlieIntel confirmed. PlayStation has had exclusive marketing rights with Call of Duty since 2014, and Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier confirmed PlayStation’s deal runs through at least Modern Warfare 3 in 2023.

Microsoft’s landmark acquisition still hangs in the balance, so for complete coverage, make sure to check out our up-to-date guide.