Report: Microsoft Foregoes Over $300M in Call of Duty Sales by Bundling It in Game Pass

Bloomberg-based revelations suggest Game Pass strategy came at a steep cost — Microsoft has not officially confirmed the figure.

A new report claims Microsoft sacrificed more than $300 million in potential Call of Duty sales after adding Black Ops 6 to Xbox Game Pass, revealing the tension between expanding subscription services and preserving traditional game revenue.

According to insiders cited in a Bloomberg report (as summarized by Windows Central), Microsoft is believed to have “given up” over $300 million in console and PC Call of Duty sales because Black Ops 6 was included day one in Game Pass.

The report notes that while Black Ops 6 achieved franchise-record player engagement, the shift reduced high-margin full-price game purchases.

Push Square echoes the figure, characterizing the move as a financial gamble that “squandered” more than $300 million by embedding the title in the subscription service.

One key figure cited: 82% of full-price copies of Black Ops 6 reportedly sold outside Game Pass (especially on PlayStation), amplifying the lost revenue impact on PC/console platforms tied to Microsoft’s ecosystem.

The report suggests Microsoft may attempt to recoup the lost income via higher Game Pass subscription prices and increased in-game monetization (cosmetics, microtransactions).

Indeed, Microsoft recently announced a 50% price hike for its Game Pass Ultimate tier, a move some analysts view as partly motivated by the need to offset such losses.

Critics argue this shift underscores a deeper strategic risk: bundling premium titles into subscriptions may bolster adoption metrics but erode the traditional revenue streams that once underpinned the industry’s economics.

While these figures are dramatic, they originate from unnamed former or current employees speaking on internal projections. Microsoft has not publicly confirmed the $300 million number.

Thus, the reported losses should be treated with cautious interpretation rather than hard fact.