Xbox chief Phil Spencer has confirmed that Activision Blizzard games won’t be coming to Xbox Game Pass in the near future, dashing hopes of a big content drop following Microsoft’s acquisition of the publisher.
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In the latest Xbox podcast, Spencer stated that due to the lengthy regulatory approval process for the $68.7 billion deal, Microsoft was unable to work with Activision Blizzard on preparing its back catalog for Xbox Game Pass. Now that the acquisition has officially closed, that work can begin, but Spencer cautioned it will take time. Spencer said:
“The regulatory process took so long… that we weren’t able to get in and work with Activision Blizzard on that back catalog work. Now that the deal is closed, we’re starting that work, but there is work. I think the Activision Twitter handle… did put out something that talked about 2024, and I think that’s accurate. I would love it if there was some kind of secret celebration drop that’s coming in the next couple of weeks — there’s not.”
Activision Blizzard previously confirmed on Twitter that the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Diablo IV would not launch into Xbox Game Pass this year. However, uncertainty remained around older Activision titles until Spencer’s comments today.
Many Xbox fans anticipated that Microsoft would rapidly add legacy Call of Duty games and other Activision franchises to Game Pass once the deal closed. Windows Central reported this was likely, but so far, no surge of new content has materialized.
When Microsoft acquired Bethesda in 2021, it added 20 Bethesda games to Game Pass just two days after closing. Microsoft also recently fixed longstanding Xbox 360 Call of Duty multiplayer issues, further hinting at Activision integration.
However, according to Spencer, uncertainty around the acquisition slowed efforts to prepare Activision’s catalog for Xbox Game Pass. While disappointing for fans eager for more content, he reiterated this is a long-term investment focused on the future.
For now, Xbox supporters must wait patiently for beloved Activision franchises to hit Game Pass. With the deal now complete, Microsoft can finally begin the work of bringing Activision Blizzard’s games to its popular subscription service.
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