Facepalm: Remember how much Microsoft promoted the fact that Call of Duty would be on Game Pass from day one? The series doesn't appear on the service at launch anymore, and Redmond is making sure everyone remembers this in an ad that makes it look almost like a boast.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 arrives on October 23 (October 16 for players who pre-ordered), and for the first time in two years, it won't be coming straight to Game Pass.
While one would imagine that Microsoft doesn't want to keep repeating this point, it's plastered in huge letters across a social media ad campaign for the game that started on June 27.
Back in July, Microsoft reversed the price increases it had introduced to Game Pass subscriptions a year earlier – which resulted in millions of subscribers leaving – making them just slightly higher than before the 2025 hikes. It also confirmed that Call of Duty games would come to Game Pass a year after release.
Microsoft obviously wants gamers to know they once again have to buy Call of Duty titles to play them straight away. It's estimated that Black Ops 6's appearance on Game Pass resulted in $300 million in lost of sales.
Black Ops 6 still managed to set a series sales record, but that was with 82% of full-price sales coming on PlayStation 5.
Game Pass has been under the spotlight more than ever recently. In addition to the revelation about the millions of people who left following the price hikes, there have been complaints about the service's content. According to the director of the Ori games, the subscription service would be much more successful if studios weren't incentivized to "slop out mediocre content like a factory."
Then there are Microsoft's other issues. We recently heard that the company is closing Ninja Theory and Double Fine, with Compulsion and others set for the chopping block – part of the major layoffs that are being implemented. There were also reports that Microsoft could consider spinning off the Xbox brand or forming a joint venture.
Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.