Recently leaked information suggests that including Call of Duty on the Xbox Game Pass could have cost Microsoft around $300 million in lost sales. This revelation follows a notable announcement regarding an increase in the price of Xbox Game Pass subscriptions.

The situation worsened for Xbox Game Pass when subscribers attempted to unsubscribe en masse after the price hike, leading to website outages. Alongside the higher costs, the streaming service has announced the introduction of new games and benefits, one of which is the inclusion of Call of Duty on the service from its launch.

Microsoft Allegedly Lost $300 Million Through Xbox Game Pass

According to a report from Bloomberg, an anonymous source claimed that including the game on Xbox Game Pass means losing over $300 million in sales for the PC and console versions of the game, as many gamers opted for the subscription model instead of purchasing separately. Additionally, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the first in the franchise to be offered on Xbox Game Pass on its release day. Despite this hit to their revenue, Black Ops 6 has still performed strongly in sales on both PlayStation and PC platforms, possibly compensating for some of the losses.

While these figures remain unofficial, they may contribute to the justification for the recently announced Xbox Game Pass price hike. With the increase kicking in before the release of the next installment, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it raises concerns about whether many subscribers will continue utilizing Game Pass to enjoy the upcoming title instead of buying it outright, mirroring the trend seen with Black Ops 6.