Breaking News: Newest ‘Call of Duty’ Makes Game Pass Numbers Go Bonkers

In a shocking twist, the small indie title Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 made Xbox Game Pass numbers skyrocket. Regarding other news: water is wet. Also, the sky — more often than not — is blue. According to a report by the Washington Post, CoD: Black Ops 6 has boosted sales across the board, getting more people than ever interested in Xbox’s Game Pass service.

‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’ Breaks Numerous Records

Game Pass numbers weren’t the only thing to celebrate with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Unit sales for other platforms had a drastic increase compared to previous installments. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella mentioned in an earnings call that unit sales were up over 60% on PlayStation and PC.

After acquiring Activision/Blizzard in 2023, fans were patiently awaiting the news of old or new titles making their way to the Game Pass service. Black Ops 6 was the first to release on day one. It seems this strategy was a success, boosting Game Pass subscriptions by a record amount. While not giving specific numbers, Black Ops 6 easily took the crown Starfield once wore before it.

After the lukewarm reception to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III in 2023, fans were hoping for a Hail Mary pass to bring the franchise back onto the right track. I’ve been long out of the Call of Duty sphere. But even the little bit I played last year didn’t feel great. The campaign was short and boring, and the multiplayer was good. It was missing that “wow” factor previous games offered.

Treyarch is also moving quickly to keep the content coming, with a new mode and maps already making their way into the rotation. With the new Omnimovement, it seems they need to move as fast as the Sweats to retain people.

It does seem Raven Software and Treyarch were able to bring things back around for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, however. Sitting at a solid 85 on OpenCritic, it’s the highest-rated CoD in years. It’s a franchise that certainly needed a win after its last few titles.