Following the announcement last week that Diablo 4 would be added to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has now shared a brief update about what this means for the rest of Activision Blizzard's library.
In an interview with Game File, Spencer reiterated how the plan was to eventually deliver the "full portfolio" of Activision Blizzard games. While he didn't directly name-drop Call of Duty or certain other games, he did clarify everything would eventually come across, including "Day One" releases:
Phil Spencer: "Our intent is the full portfolio of games from ZeniMax, Activision Blizzard and XGS—Xbox Game Studios—will be on Game Pass, day one,” he said. (Day one = when they also go on sale.)
Before this can all happen though, there's still some work to be done to get Game Pass launches for Activision Blizzard titles in full swing. This includes some "back end work" allowing for simultaneous releases on console and PC.
Diablo 4 will launch on Game Pass on March 28th and is the first Activision Blizzard game to join the service. The process for everything else should be fairly smooth, although there are still some questions about Call of Duty and how soon it'll be available on Game Pass due to some old Activision agreements with Sony.
So, there you go - once again, it's happening, but it may take a little time. At least for now, we have the release of Diablo 4 on Game Pass to look forward to next month.
[source gamefile.news]
Comments 31
I think once they get this in place and all day one releases on game pass, things might take off a bit more for Xbox eco system.
Anyone know if this years 2024 COD will be day one game pass?
Great to see that they include D4 for Windows as well, bodes well for the portfolio (and my multi-platform habits)
@OldGamer999 definitely won't be any time soon don't expect COD games to be day one on the current generation of systems that was one of the things that Sony was negotiating against to prevent it so probably not even the next generation either.
I don't think there's any ActiBlizz game I like, but this will be great for Xbox.
Cool, than do it already. Why on earth aren't Crash Bandicoot, THPS, A million CODs etc not on the service? Why is Diablo 4 coming soon but not 2 and 3? I really don't get it. Don't know why console players have to wait around for them to get the pc stuff sorted. Sounds like an excuse to me. Plenty of games have been launched the on pc and console has had to wait for a port. They're also just older games, not big day one releases so I don't see why parity between the two matters. Not to mention that when they do get it sorted pc will get a bunch of stuff from the Blizzard side console will never get.
@OldGamer999 that remains unclear microsoft president Brad Smith said the deal with Sony ends in 2024. I'm guessing that includes the 2024 call of duty title as part of the deal. It should be the last one that is not day 1 in gamepass.
@Zenszulu sony unsuccessfully negotiated against it. Their marketing deal for call of duty ends in 2024. COD should be day 1 on gamepass 2025 onward. Sony has no say in the matter after this year, it will solely be up to xbox (and ubisoft for cloud streaming).
@Zenszulu as part of the FTC trial it was confirmed cod will join gamepass when the Sony marketing contract runs out, either this year or next I forget.
What you said is not correct
I'm willing bet big games like call of duty will come after quite the lengthy time period. Guess around a year. They are not going to leave money on table due to lost sales.
Microsoft confirmed this month in a podcast that all the gaming sites in the world covered that all games, including ABK, will be on Game Pass at launch. Sony's rights regarding Call of Duty expire this year, as have been said above and one hundred times before. Where do the daily waves of anti-Xbox misinformation come from? It's like someone is working 24/7 making, renewing and spreading rumours even after they have been proven wrong 🤣.
@Zenszulu Maybe not in 2024 due to the agreement with Sony, but I’m pretty sure that expires on January 1st 2025, so maybe 2024 CoD will arrive on Game Pass a couple of months after launch but 2025 CoD will be day one.
@BacklogBrad If I’m not mistaken the marketing deal already expired, meaning Microsoft can market CoD for Xbox beginning this year (takes me back to 360 days), however the agreement for keeping CoD off Game Pass day one is still in place until the first day of next year. Correct me if I wrong tho.
@GuyinPA75 They literally just said CoD will come to Game Pass day one, we just don’t know if that’ll begin this or next year due to a previous deal with Sony and Activision.
All I know is this is all taking far to long to get the games on gamepass
@eire-shabba That's right and I also expected more games sooner, but not many months have passed since they finally got through the acquisition process. Now they need to sort the technical aspects out, such as making the games part of the Xbox ecosystem.
@IOI I believe that those are the same deal. The marketing deal included the stipulation that it couldn't go to rival subscriptions. All I can find about it just refers to it as THE deal playstation had with COD.
It's possible they reworked that aspect since playstation debuting trailers that are littered with xbox logos might not be very appealing to them.
So they will be available for download on Game Pass in the UK?
But cloud streaming will be limited to Ubisoft+? Or is that not a thing any more?
@IOI Microsoft literally said lot things over past couple years. We all seen how that went too.
@Zenszulu naw. It will be. Just not exclusive or timed.
It better include merging Activision's ***** account system into the standard Xbox account infrastructure. They have no business still having Bethesda and Activision accounts. It's ***** *****.
@Liam_Doolan Does that include World of Warcraft for PC?
Don't care since the only Activision Blizzard games I care about are licensed games they don't have access to without spending more money.
@shoeses That too. The 2009 Wolfenstein needs to go BC, among other things.
If Xbox puts every game on all consoles then I can see them putting only multiplayer but campaigns will be strictly pc Xbox
@NoLifeDGenerate
I do agree with what you are saying, but also do you want them to focus on delivering games or do you want them to focus on getting rid of duplicate account stuff?
And on the cloud? How does it work with ubisoft having cloud rights? I also want these questions answered.
I’m not a CoD player so it doesn’t effect me if it goes into gamepass this year or next year. I do find it funny that it was part of the negotiation Sony had with Activision that CoD couldn’t go into gamepass even though Activision had zero interest to put any of their games into gamepass.
Blur, and Transformers FallOfCybertron confirmed???
I would lose my mind if that meant one day we will see World of Warcraft. That would be a console exclusive of huge scale.
I would say that the only AB game I'm looking forward to is Diablo 4 and maybe 1 or 2 of the older COD games, like World At War. Any other game I already have, and the other 90% of AB titles, I couldn't care any less about.
Why buy games anymore Xbox got us covered the next cod will flop no Xbox person will buy it if u can get it with game pass subscription
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