Anticipation is building as the October 23, 2026 release date approaches for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. However, some fans have been sent reeling after Microsoft rescinded a previous promise.
Previous games, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Black Ops 6, and Black Ops 7, were both included on the Xbox Game Pass; however, they were added months after release. This was typical for Call of Duty, until May 2024 when Microsoft announced that all new games in the series would be featured on Xbox Game Pass.
Initially, this was met with excitement mixed with concern for the Xbox Game Pass. Many gamers were worried that Game Pass prices were going to increase, and Ultimate did rise to $19.99/month in July 2024. In October 2025, the Ultimate Game Pass saw another price increase, with this one being a 50% increase to $29.99/month.
Now, Call of Duty is running advertisements for Modern Warfare 4, specifically stating “not on Xbox Game Pass” in bright yellow, capital letters. CharlieIntel spotted these ads and posted them on X. Xbox lost “millions of subscribers” after making the Ultimate Game Pass $29.99/month, with the series included on release. Now that Call of Duty games will no longer be released initially on the Game Pass, the Ultimate Game Pass has now dropped to $22.99/month, with the PC Game Pass dropping from $16.49/month to $13.99/month.
This price drop comes under the direction of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who has big ideas leading the company. Sharma plans to have Xbox as the “number one gaming and entertainment company by 2030”. All eyes will be on Xbox over the next three years to see if they can reach such high goals.
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