CoD players divided as Black Ops 6 arrives on Xbox Game Pass at launch

Nathan Warby
Black Ops 6 cover art

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 has been revealed and we finally have official confirmation that it will arrive on Xbox Game Pass at launch. However, the news left the community divided as PlayStation owners feel they are being shortchanged.

After months of rumors and speculation, Call of Duty 2024 has been announced as Black Ops 6, the latest entry in the series to be developed by Treyarch. Although the first real deep dive will come at the Xbox Showcase on June 9, a handful of details have already been confirmed, including the long-rumored Gulf War setting.

On May 28, the game’s live-action trailer also confirmed that BO6 will arrive Day One on Xbox Game Pass, following Microsoft’s well-documented takeover of Activision Blizzard. This will mark the first time that a CoD title has launched on the service, meaning subscribers on Xbox and PC won’t need to pay the full $70 to hop in.

However, the announcement has proved to be a divisive one, with many CoD players welcoming the news, while others have criticized the decision.

As you’d expect, Xbox players were excited to hear that Black Ops 6 will be available as part of their Game Pass membership. Responding to CharlieIntel’s X post confirming the announcement, some even claimed that they’ll give the game a try despite not usually playing new CoD titles.

“Oh s**t this will be the first cod I have played since 2019,” said one reply, while another added: “This is a huge win ngl.”

Others also mentioned that this move lets them test BO6 out without committing to a full purchase: “So happy I don’t have to pay full price anymore for cod. If it’s trash at least it was ‘free’ on Game Pass.”

However, those on PlayStation were less positive about the decision to launch on Xbox Game Pass, arguing that it’s unfair that players on one platform can hop in for no extra cost. “So why am I paying 90+ for a game they get on the monthly subscription?” asked an angry PlayStation owner, before another replied: “What a horrible day to own a PS5.”

Meanwhile, there were others who speculated that this may not even work out for Xbox players, as it means that they won’t own the game, and launching a title as big as CoD on the service could lead to a price hike.

Only time will tell how launching on Xbox Game Pass will affect Black Ops 6‘s player count when it arrives later in 2024, but there’s no doubt it could entice more fans to jump in and try the multiplayer and Zombies mode.