Although neither sales figures for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 nor the exact number of players have been communicated by Activision, we know that the game attracted more players than ever in the first three days of its launch. A record figure which certainly has to do with the availability of the game in certain Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. According to the game director, it is rather a godsend.
Black Ops 6 in Xbox Game Pass: a first that makes you want to know more
There was a time when Activision communicated on the revenue generated by Call of Duty when they deserved to be highlighted. We thus remember the billion dollars in sales of Call of Duty Modern Warfare in 2019 or the 3 billion dollars in net revenues the year Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War was released.
But for this Black Ops 6, no mention of any turnover, no less the revenue over the space of a few days after the launch. Could this be a link with the release of the game in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass?
This is not impossible since during the hearings between Microsoft and the world authorities on the occasion of the acquisition of Activision, Microsoft admitted to the CMA that Xbox Game Pass “cannibalized” game sales. We also learned that the firm's internal documents provided in its report to the CMA confirmed a drop in game sales 12 months after their integration into Xbox Game Pass. The percentage of this reduction, however, remained confidential.
For Black Ops 6, Microsoft and Activision are careful not to communicate on these kinds of details, but we are not safe from obtaining some information on this subject if a shareholder asks the question during a Microsoft conference dedicated to investors.
The challenge of Game Pass: making players stay
Miles Leslie, director of Black Ops 6 at Treyarch, explained to the BBC that the availability of the game in Game Pass certainly played a role in the increase in the figures communicated by Activision a few days after launch, namely a record of number of players, hours played and matches started over 3 days.
According to Miles, this gives Call of Duty developers “another way to put the game in the hands of players”.
“What we saw was that it allowed people who might have been hesitant, who might have had friction, who might have said, 'I haven't played in a while,' to come back and to try the game »
He explains that the challenge for developers was how to attract fans who love Call of Duty, but also how to create an environment that welcomes new fans. The bet therefore seems successful for the launch, but the challenge will be to ensure that newcomers via the Game Pass continue to play Black Ops 6 in the coming months, and if possible to spend money in Battle Passes or cosmetics.
Miles says you have to keep a close eye on how veterans and new players are doing.
“The main thing is whether they are having fun. Where are the sticking points? This is what we analyze. You never know how the game will be received until it's in the hands of millions of players. He came out and it was very positive. There are obviously things we can improve and we're listening to the community so we can hear those things, analyze them and really attack them and fix them in the right way.
Season 1 of Black Ops 6 is precisely there to maintain the game and keep players there, and we can say that the content offered for free is already quite strong!
