According to a credible insider, Microsoft is preparing to add Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to Xbox Game Pass later this month. The company previously confirmed that the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will launch on the subscription service on release day, but if this new report is true, 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 could be the first Call of Duty title on Game Pass.
Xbox fans have requested that Microsoft add the Call of Duty library to Game Pass since the company closed its $68.7 billion merger with Activision Blizzard King last year. It took a while, but Microsoft finally announced in May 2024 that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 would be a day one Game Pass release, albeit split among the various tiers of the service. However, there hasn't been any word so far regarding past Call of Duty titles hitting Game Pass anytime soon, but that may be about to change.
Activision confirms that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 won't offer the same content to all Game Pass members, with some tiers having greater access.
After the recently revealed price hikes for Xbox Game Pass, it appears Microsoft could be gearing up to boost the service's value for some users imminently. A new report from reliable industry insider Tom Henderson writing for Insider Gaming alleges that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be added to Game Pass in the latter half of this month, and that an announcement could be coming as soon as July 10. It's understood that the Game Pass price increases were originally meant to be revealed on this day as well, but the news seems to have slipped out of Microsoft's hands a day in advance.
The choice of Sledgehammer Games' Modern Warfare 3 being the very first back-catalog title from the Call of Duty series to be added to Game Pass is interesting, as it garnered quite a bit controversy upon its release in 2023. Reviewers noted that the game's campaign was extremely short for its $70 price tag, and Modern Warfare 3 was even review bombed by upset players. Despite the criticisms, it still went on to sell very well, as Call of Duty games typically do.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 may not be a fan-favorite from the series, but it might be the kicking-off point for other past Call of Duty titles to be added to Game Pass in the short term, which will likely excite a large number of Xbox fans. Microsoft has already confirmed eight games that will hit Game Pass in July 2024, and the potential wild card inclusion of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will offer members a wider range of titles to play this month.