Take-Two CEO Says Call of Duty Will Help Grow Xbox Game Pass 'For a Period of Time': Report

Microsoft announced in May that the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one when it launches October 25. The Xbox parent likely expects Game Pass subscriber numbers to grow with the launch of the popular first-person shooter on the service. While Microsoft has placed a big bet by bringing Call of Duty to Game Pass, but don't expect major third-party studios to follow suit. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has said that putting Call of Duty on Game Pass would likely bring new subscribers to the service “for a period of time,” but the company has no plans to do the same with its new triple-A releases.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Zelnick said that including a major title like Call of Duty at launch would boost Game Pass numbers for a while. “I think that offering a frontline title with a premium price in a subscription service, day and date, will push consumers to that subscription service for at least a period of time,” he said.

However, the Take-Two boss does not plan to bring the company's upcoming titles on Game Pass. "No, it won't affect our decisions. Because our decisions are rational," Zelnick said.

Zelnick's comments come after Take-Two reported its first-quarter financial results, where its net bookings stood at $1.22 billion (roughly Rs. 10,242 crore), just short of analyst expectations of $1.25 billion (roughly Rs. 10,494 crore). The company, however, expects a boost in net bookings in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, with the long-awaited launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 set for next year.

GTA 6 has not yet received a concrete release date, but Take-Two has narrowed down a Fall 2025 release window for the game.

Activision is gearing up to launch Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the next instalment in the popular first-person shooter franchise, on October 25. Microsoft confirmed in May that the upcoming game will become the first Call of Duty title to be available on Game Pass day and date of launch.

Days after the announcement, the Xbox parent hiked the pricing for Game Pass across tiers and territories, and introduced a new ‘Standard' tier that will not include day one launch titles.