Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 landed on Xbox Game Pass, raising questions about its impact on sales.
Mat Piscatella, an analyst from Circana, highlighted some important data showing how Black Ops 6’s launch on Game Pass affected spending in the US. Instead of buying the game directly, many chose to subscribe to Game Pass, leading to a “subscription spending boost.” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella mentioned that this launch caused the biggest single-day sign-ups for Game Pass ever.
Interestingly, Piscatella also pointed out that launching Black Ops 6 on Game Pass shifted full-game sales toward PlayStation. While Xbox might have gained popularity as a Call of Duty platform, PlayStation still led in full-game sales in the US. In October, PlayStation accounted for a whopping 82% of the console sales for Black Ops 6. Yet, Microsoft still profits since they own Call of Duty, earning from every copy sold, no matter where it’s played. Plus, Microsoft has promised to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for at least ten more years.
Fans often wonder if these subscription services hurt game sales.
Piscatella added that there hasn’t been a big drop in Black Ops 6 sales despite its Game Pass release, which remains a hot topic. Some say Game Pass hurts sales, but others disagree, and Piscatella believes there’s no clear answer yet. He said, “Who knows, maybe there’s a benefit, maybe there’s a drawback, maybe it all comes out in the wash. Whatever it is, the data suggest (to me anyways) that it ain’t conclusive yet,” he stated when asked about the effects of Game Pass.
Earlier, analyst Michael Pachter told GI.biz that Black Ops 6 might lead to six million lost sales since he thought a quarter of Game Pass subscribers would have bought it anyway. Yet, he also predicted four million new Game Pass members thanks to the game.
Microsoft admitted before that not releasing Starfield on PS5 meant losing sales, and the same was true for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. However, while Starfield skipped PS5, The Great Circle is set to arrive there in 2025.
Back to Call of Duty, Piscatella noted that Black Ops 6 didn’t really boost Xbox Series X|S sales. In October 2024, Xbox hardware sales fell by 18%, which was less than PS5’s 20% drop and Switch’s 38% decrease.
Nowadays, Microsoft isn’t focused only on selling Xbox consoles; the brand represents more than just a gaming box. Still, consoles are crucial, and Microsoft continues producing them.
The true economics of Game Pass might stay murky since Microsoft won’t reveal details of its agreements with game makers. Moreover, the company doesn’t share Xbox console sales figures anymore, focusing instead on vague “engagement” metrics that can be spun to its advantage.
Despite everything, Black Ops 6 topped the US sales charts in October 2024 and ranked third among 2024’s best-selling games after just a few days on the market.
