New Xbox boss Asha Sharma recently delivered a mix of good and bad news for subscribers. While the service is now cheaper, new Call of Duty titles will no longer be available on the platform at launch. Instead, players can look forward to a rotating schedule where older Call of Duty games are coming to Game Pass in 2026 and beyond.
A Shift in Microsoft's Xbox Strategy
This change marks one of the first major shakeups from Sharma, who takes over Phil Spencer's mantle. This transition follows a difficult year for Microsoft, during which Xbox faced significant criticism regarding its recent performance. The era of receiving the franchise's biggest money-maker on day one is officially over.
Xbox's two-year run of providing its single largest revenue generator to subscribers has ended. Activision appears keen to move away from this model, as wide availability reportedly impacted the profitability of Black Ops 6 in 2024 and Black Ops 7 in 2025.
Why Older Call of Duty Games are Coming to Game Pass in 2026
Fan reactions to the news have swung between disappointment and understanding. On X, user Stallion83 expressed a specific desire for more legacy content: "They should release all legacy Call of Duty games on game pass like today." Many players hope that as older Call of Duty games are coming to Game Pass in 2026, the back catalog will be fully restored.
There is reason for optimism, however. A source at Activision told PC Gamer that plans are underway to add more of the franchise's back catalog to the service this year. Currently, only recent entries are available on the Ultimate tier, with the oldest being 2017's Call of Duty: WW2.
Potential Additions to the Library
Bringing back classics like Modern Warfare 2 or Black Ops would be a massive draw for players, especially since many older titles still retail for $30 to $60. Here are some potential candidates for the service:
- Call of Duty (2003)
- Call of Duty 2 (2005)
- Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (2005)
- Call of Duty 3 (2006)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
- Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012)
- Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015)
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)
- Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)
It is worth noting that 2021's often-overlooked Vanguard has also been absent from the service. Perhaps even more obscure titles, like Treyarch's Big Red One, will finally get their moment in the sun.
