Microsoft removes Call of Duty from Game Pass, lowers subscription pricing

Microsoft removed Call of Duty from Game Pass while lowering subscription pricing to $9.99 per month, a strategic retrenchment that signals the end of aggressive gaming bundling. The move comes as Activision's flagship title generated $1.2 billion in 2025 sales, making its removal a $400 million annual loss for the service—yet Microsoft projects a 15% user retention increase as price-sensitive subscribers prefer the cheaper tier. This decision mirrors Sony's 2023 PlayStation Plus restructuring, which similarly jettisoned premium titles to cut costs, but Microsoft is betting that lower prices will attract a broader audience faster than the average competitor's retention strategies. Early data shows a 22% rise in new signups within the first week.