Microsoft Ends $1 Xbox Game Pass Trial Ahead of Call of Duty Launch

Microsoft has discontinued its $1 Xbox Game Pass trial just days before the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on October 25th. The 14-day trial was removed on October 8th, preventing individuals from signing up for a trial and accessing the Black Ops 6 campaign without committing to a full month of the Game Pass.

Initially, Microsoft halted its $1 trial for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass in March of the previous year. It was later reintroduced with a decreased duration of 14 days instead of a full month. Microsoft briefly removed the $1 trial again just before the release of Starfield in September.

The removal of the $1 Xbox Game Pass trial comes as no surprise, particularly as Microsoft aims to leverage Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to boost its Game Pass subscriber numbers. It was reported earlier this year that Microsoft had considered including new releases of Call of Duty in Game Pass, with concerns about the potential impact on revenue from traditional Call of Duty sales. A $1 trial could significantly affect sales and subscriptions, especially since Activision typically sells more than 20 million copies of Call of Duty at around $70 each.

Additionally, Microsoft plans to introduce Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone to Xbox Cloud Gaming later this month. This marks the first time a Call of Duty game will be available on Xbox Cloud Gaming at launch, following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year.

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