The Call of Duty series may be headed to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service earlier than expected, according to a new rumor.
A Reddit user stumbled upon a rather strange occurrence, as they redeemed their copy of Cal of Duty Ghosts on the Xbox store. Based on the screenshot that they shared, which can be seen below, Microsoft welcomed them to Game Pass.
The message is usually generated upon redeeming a game on the Xbox Store, with the standard accompanied message stating that it will automatically install on the user’s Home console. However, in this case, the header states, “Welcome to Game Pass”. While this is no confirmation that the Call of Duty will make its way to Xbox Game Pass prior to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard getting closed, it is an interesting find nevertheless.
Other users have reported that they were greeted with the same “Welcome to Game Pass” header upon redeeming other games outside of the Call of Duty series. Hence, this may simply be a new addition to the standard message seen on the Xbox Store upon redeeming a game code.
Microsoft initiated its proposed acquisition of Activision earlier this year on January 18, 2022 for $68.7 billion in an all-cash deal. Activision Blizzard’s stock price jumped nearly 40% that day in pre-market trading. After the Chinese company Tencent and the Japanese conglomerate Sony, the deal would make Microsoft the third-largest gaming company in the world and the largest one with its headquarters in the Americas.
Microsoft’s financial advisors will be Goldman Sachs, and Activision’s financial advisors will be Allen & Company. Activision’s legal counsel will come from Skadden, while Microsoft’s will come from Simpson Thacher. [76] Following an international government regulatory review of the transaction, the deal is anticipated to close in 2023 with approval from the boards of directors of both companies.
