Microsoft boss Satya Nadella has called last week’s Black Ops 6 launch the “biggest Call of Duty release ever”, saying its arrival set a record for “Game Pass subscriber adds on launch day.”
Microsoft’s financial report for Q1 FY2025 showed great news for gaming, with revenue up 43% compared to last year. This increase was boosted by the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Xbox content and services revenue jumped 61%, but Xbox hardware sales dropped 29%.
A big highlight for Microsoft was the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Although physical sales in the UK were down 10% compared to Modern Warfare 3, likely because it was available on Game Pass from day one, CEO Satya Nadella called it the “biggest Call of Duty release ever” during the earnings call.
While the Nadella didn’t share specific figures to illustrate his claims, he also noted Black Ops 6’s launch had set a “record for day one players as well as Game Pass subscriber adds on launch day.”
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That Game Pass metric was previously rolled out last year, when Nadella announced Bethesda’s Starfield had “set a record for the most Game Pass subscriptions added on a single day ever”, indicating higher numbers of Black Ops 6.
Whether those numbers prove sufficient for Microsoft, given Black Ops 6’s Game Pass launch marked a critical test for its subscription service strategy following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, remains to be seen.
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Nadella also mentioned that Black Ops 6 attracted the highest number of PC players during its opening weekend in the franchise’s history. Sales on PlayStation and Steam were up 60% compared to last year.
The developer, Treyarch, echoed Nadella’s claims and added that Black Ops 6 had the most total players, hours played, and matches during its first three days.
As for reviews, Chris Tapsell from Eurogamer described the game’s campaign as “nonsensical, but surprisingly intimate.” He called it a “return to form” for the series, blending real-world themes with exciting action, horror elements, and humor. A review of the multiplayer part of Black Ops 6 will come later.
