Black Ops 6 is the biggest launch in Call of Duty history, boosting Game Pass

Microsoft revealed details about the opening weekend of Call of Duty Black Ops 6, and the game was an absolute success, as expected. According to the company, the new title is the biggest launch in franchise historyachieving record sales and boosting Xbox Game Pass, which received the day-one game in its catalog.

The information came from none other than Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft. During the company’s investor meeting, the executive provided details about the initial success of Activision’s new game. In addition to boosting Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, the title saw an increase in sales on PlayStation and computers.

“The launch of Black Ops 6 last week was the biggest Call of Duty launch ever, setting a record for first-day players as well as Game Pass subscriber additions on launch day,” explained the CEO of Microsoft. “And unit sales on PlayStation and Steam are also up more than 60% year over year.”

According to Satya Nadella, the success of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 proves that the company’s multiplatform strategy is working. Since purchasing Activision, the owner of Xbox has decided to maintain the launches of major multiplatform franchises, instead of focusing on exclusive content.

Launch on Game Pass

Since the game was revealed as part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog at launch, there has been some concern that sales of Black Ops 6 would be hurt by the service, but Microsoft appears pleased with the results. “This demonstrates our strategy of meeting players where they are, allowing them to play more on the screens they spend their time on,” concluded Satya Nadella.

Amy Hood, who is Microsoft’s CFO, commented on the title’s arrival on Game Pass and its long-term importance on the service. While the game has already driven new subscriptions, but no new numbers have been revealed, the executive states that the biggest highlight is the recurring use of the service.

“For players who play through Game Pass, subscription revenue is recognized over time,” Hood explained. “The game requires an online connection to play, so even for players who purchase the game standalone, revenue recognition will also occur proportionately over time.”

Franchise has sold more than 500 million copies

In addition to talking about Black Ops 6, executives from Microsoft and Activision also revealed that the franchise has sold more than 500 million copies. The series began in 2003, during the PS2 era, and had several titles that dominated sales for consecutive years.

The initial success of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 should also ensure that the franchise continues to function in its current format. Even after Activision is acquired by Microsoft, the development of the series’ titles will remain with its current structure, with a blockbuster budget and the involvement of many studios.

According to VGC, currently up to 15 studios work on the Call of Duty franchise, which receives annual releases and frequent content updates. The expectation is that development will follow these standards to maintain synergy between some teams.

“When you look at Treyarch and Raven, they have a history of working together within the Black Ops franchise dating back to 2010,” explained Matt Cox, manager of the Call of Duty franchise at Activision, in an interview with WP. “You have this history with the people you work with, and that ends up showing when it comes to the finished product from a publishing and market launch standpoint.”

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is now available on PlaySation, Xbox and PC, and can even be played via the cloud on Xbox Game Pass.