Microsoft is still planning to bring Call of Duty to Game Pass on day-one

Microsoft's announcement that four Bethesda studios will be shut down has caused another wave of speculation around Game Pass. Reports claim that Microsoft is debating whether or not to keep bringing major releases, like Call of Duty, to Game Pass due to the revenue drop in sales. Just one day later, Microsoft's Sarah Bond has shut that discussion down.

Sources speaking with The Verge have indicated that the business of Game Pass has been debated many times amongst Xbox employees, with many concerned about the financial hit a game like Call of Duty would take if made available through the subscription service, a move that typically leads to a dip in long term sales.

Now, speaking with Dina Bass at Bloomberg Live (via XboxEra), Xbox executive, Sarah Bond, has poured cold water onto the idea that Call of Duty won't be coming to Game Pass, saying: “We know our core users love game pass, game pass is a gaming subscription, you get a whole portfolio of games, but importantly you get every single one of the games we build day one in Game Pass. And the quality and the breadth of those games has only been going up over time.”

Bond was then asked if that statement includes Activision's portfolio, to which she replied: “Across the whole slate, across the whole slate, you’re going to see some really amazing things. And keeping that as something that is really special for Xbox players is central to us.”

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KitGuru Says: Microsoft managed to push its acquisition of Activision Blizzard through, in part due to a lot of public support from developers and gamers. Developer sentiment is likely at an all-time low after studio closures and layoffs. If Call of Duty doesn't come to Game Pass this year, they would surely lose a lot more trust from their core audience.

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