Microsoft Ends $1 Xbox Game Pass Trial Ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Launch

Microsoft Removes $1 Xbox Game Pass Trial Days Before Black Ops 6 Launch

Microsoft has recently made a strategic decision to pull its $1 Xbox Game Pass trial, just days prior to the much-anticipated release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on October 25th. This move comes as the 14-day Game Pass trial was officially removed on October 8th, effectively preventing gamers from signing up to experience the Black Ops 6 campaign without investing in a full month of Game Pass.

History of the $1 Trial

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has altered its $1 trial offering. The company initially stopped its promotional $1 trial for both Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass back in March of last year. Although the trial was reintroduced, it was shortened to just 14 days instead of a full month. Notably, the trial was briefly unavailable again just days before the launch of Starfield in September.

Impact of the Removal

Given the gaming landscape, it’s not surprising to see the $1 Xbox Game Pass trial quietly discontinued once more. Microsoft is looking to leverage the popularity of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to boost its Game Pass subscriber numbers. Reports earlier this year indicated that Microsoft was weighing the benefits of including new Call of Duty releases in Game Pass, amid concern that this could potentially undercut typical Call of Duty sales.

Revenue Concerns Over Call of Duty's Sales

History supports those concerns, as Activision has a track record of selling over 20 million copies of Call of Duty games on average, each priced around $70. Implementing a $1 trial would likely harm both sales and subscription rates, creating additional challenges for revenue generation.

Future Releases on Xbox Cloud Gaming

In addition to the changes in the Game Pass offerings, Microsoft is set to introduce Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone to Xbox Cloud Gaming later this month. This marks a significant milestone as it will be the first time a Call of Duty game is available at launch on Xbox Cloud Gaming, following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s decision to drop the $1 trial highlights the competitive nature of the gaming industry, especially around notable releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. As the gaming community awaits the launch, it remains to be seen how these changes will affect Game Pass subscriptions and the broader market.

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