Microsoft has made a major change to Game Pass, and it seems to be welcomed by fans and also developers. The company has lowered subscription prices, but at the same time confirmed that future Call of Duty games will no longer launch on the service on day one. Instead, they will be added around a year later, marking a clear shift in strategy.
This change was announced yesterday, by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. While current Call of Duty games will remain available, new releases will now follow a delayed model. The decision reflects growing concerns about how day-one releases affect sales and long-term value.
Larian Studios’ publishing director, Michael Douse, reacted positively to the move, calling it “a good thing creatively” for the franchise. He said, “It is a good thing creatively for the CoD team and the game’s quality to know that people are gonna buy it. Nice to see Xbox team follow the Sony model of putting a game on sub after the peak sales windows.”
According to Douse, selling the game first creates a healthier environment for developers. He believes it helps teams focus more on quality instead of thinking about subscription numbers, and it gives them more creative freedom. He also pointed out that this approach is closer to Sony’s model, where big games are added to PlayStation Plus after their main sales period.
His view also matches the stance of Larian CEO Swen Vincke, who has consistently stated that Baldur’s Gate 3 will never come to Game Pass. Vincke believes that for a “big, meaty game” without microtransactions, selling it directly is the best way to support development and fund future projects.
In related news, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has publicly invited former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden to “chat sometime” after he shared a “grim prognosis” for the Xbox Game Pass model.
