Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 director talks about Xbox Game Pass’s role in creating the biggest launch in franchise history

What you need to know

The director of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 spoke to the BBC about the launch of the game on Xbox Game Pass.
The game attracted a record number of new Game Pass subscribers, and the service was praised as a way to win back players and those who were unsure about it.
Season 1 of Black Ops 6 launches on November 14 and will include new maps, zombie content, and Warzone integration.

Xbox Game Pass is “another way to put the game in the hands of the players” – says Miles Leslie, director of Treyarch, creators of the already phenomenally successful Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. That’s not all he said in BBC interviewAlthough.

“We saw that it allowed people who may have been on the fence, may have had some disagreements, may have said, ‘I haven’t played in a while,’ to actually come back and try the game. “

I can speak to this first hand because it accurately reflects how I started playing and became obsessed with Black Ops 6. I used to buy Call of Duty every year until Black Ops 4. That was the last time. I really enjoyed it because each subsequent beta version drove me away from purchasing it. But I didn’t try the beta this year because I knew Call of Duty was coming to Game Pass.

And here I am. Apparently, I’m far from alone.

For Microsoft’s latest earnings reportCEO Satya Nadella announced Black Ops 6 as the biggest day-one release in Call of Duty history for players, while also setting a record for the most new Game Pass subscriptions. It’s an absolute win across the board, and honestly, I think Game Pass has finally gotten its killer name. A name that will drive subscriptions like no other.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone integration begins in Season One.

Black Ops 6 is only going to get bigger, with Season 1 and Warzone integration on the horizon. (Image credit: Activision)

It’s a win for Call of Duty and Activision (which is made even better by the game being really good this year), and it’s a win for Game Pass. Microsoft is the one who wins the hard way. Think about it this way…

If Game Pass is a popular option because it’s cheaper than spending $70 on a game you might not like, what’s next? If new subscribers really enjoy the game and want to keep playing, they have a few options. They either buy a copy of the game and cancel Game Pass, or continue their subscription, potentially putting more dollars into Microsoft’s bank account than if they had purchased it in the first place.

In any case, Microsoft makes good money from this.

Best Early Black Friday Deals

It’s important for Treyarch now to retain all of these players for next year. From the same interview:

“You never know how it will be received until it’s in the hands of millions of players. It came out and it was really positive. There are obviously things we can improve on and we keep our finger on the pulse of the community. so that we can hear these things, analyze them, really attack them and correct them in the right ways.”

Next up is Season 1, which releases on November 14 and will bring a ton of additional content, including new maps, Warzone integration, a new Zombies location, and more.