Rumour: Call of Duty Could Be Removed From Xbox Game Pass Day One

A new rumour is doing the rounds, and if it turns out to be true, a lot of Game Pass subscribers are not going to be happy about it.

COD Warfare (@CODWarfareForum), a known Call of Duty-focused social media account, posted on 1st March claiming that Microsoft is weighing up pulling Call of Duty from its day-one Xbox Game Pass release model. The reported reason is a restructuring effort tied to the recent Xbox leadership changes, along with the significant financial losses the franchise has racked up since Microsoft absorbed Activision Blizzard. The post also hinted that this wouldn't be the only change in the works, with broader adjustments to the Call of Duty franchise's strategy said to be under discussion.

Worth being clear: nothing is confirmed. This is a rumour from a social media account, not a leak from inside Microsoft or Activision. Take it with a generous pinch of salt.

That said, it's not exactly coming out of nowhere.

The Money Problem

Microsoft's decision to put Call of Duty on Game Pass day one was always a gamble. The pitch to subscribers was obvious. Pay the monthly fee, get the biggest shooter on the planet included. But the numbers reportedly haven't played out the way the company hoped.

Back in October 2025, reports claimed that Xbox lost more than $300 million in console and PC sales because players opted to access Call of Duty through Game Pass rather than buying it outright. That's a staggering figure for a single title in a single year, and it's widely believed to be one of the main reasons Microsoft dramatically restructured Xbox Game Pass on 1st October 2025, renaming tiers, adding bundled services, and hiking prices sharply, with Ultimate jumping 50% to $29.99 per month.

New Call of Duty games are now exclusive to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for at least a year, with older titles remaining available on the cheaper Premium tier. In other words, Microsoft already made one significant move to squeeze more value out of the franchise on Game Pass. The question now is whether removing day-one access entirely is the logical next step.

Leadership Changes Adding Fuel to the Fire

The rumour also links the potential change to the high cost of integrating Activision Blizzard into Microsoft, with sources suggesting the financial impact has forced a review of some strategic approaches.

On top of that, there's been notable shuffling at the top. Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma has taken over from Phil Spencer recently, and she has acknowledged that Xbox fans want exclusive games back. Whether that shift in leadership translates into a harder line on Game Pass monetisation remains to be seen, but it does lend the rumour at least some context.

Reports have also suggested that the delayed launch of the next-gen Xbox console hurt Call of Duty's marketing plans, as the next game was reportedly meant to launch alongside the new hardware. That kind of disruption, combined with financial pressure and a new leadership team, is exactly the sort of environment where strategy rethinks happen.

What Would Removing Day-One Access Actually Mean?

If Microsoft were to go through with this, the fallout for subscribers would be real. Right now, Game Pass Ultimate costs £23/$30 a month partly because it includes Call of Duty day one. Strip that out, and the value proposition takes a serious hit.

Call of Duty closed out 2025 as the number one franchise on Xbox Game Pass for total players and hours across the entire year. That's not the profile of something you remove lightly. The franchise is clearly a huge draw for the service, even if it's eating into direct sales.

There's also the timing to consider. 2025's Black Ops 7 had the franchise's worst sales year ranking since 2008 , which arguably makes this an even trickier call. Removing day-one access right when the series is already struggling commercially could push even more players away entirely, rather than convert them to buyers.

What's Next for Call of Duty Anyway?

The rumour lands at a moment when there's already a lot of noise around the franchise's future. The next entry is widely expected to be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, with Activision anticipated to announce it around June and release it in October or November 2026. That release window puts it on a direct collision course with GTA 6 , which is shaping up to be one of the biggest entertainment launches in years.

For now, Microsoft and Activision haven't said anything publicly about changing the Game Pass model. But given the financial pressure, the leadership changes, and the precedent already set with the tier restructuring, this rumour is at least worth watching.

If it does happen, expect the community reaction to be loud.