If Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are acquired, Game Pass subscribers will still have to wait years for existing Call of Duty to be added to the catalog, according to a report from the UK’s competition authority.
The CMA made headlines last week for blocking its takeover of UK-based Activision Blizzard, mainly citing cloud gaming as its rationale. This is certainly a serious but not hopeless hurdle for Microsoft. The latest news also concerns Game Pass, as according to the competition bureau’s latest report, even if the deal goes through, the Call of Duty series won’t be able to move into the service’s catalog until 2025.
the in leaked documents The agency expects Game Pass to “start leveraging it within a reasonable period of time, although it is feasible that there will be some delay between the completion of the merger and the launch of Call of Duty on Game Pass in 2025.”
It is not known exactly where the CMA obtained the said date, nor is it clear if the appearance of 2025 is correct. It is certain that even if the acquisition is completed, Game Pass subscribers will not be able to play the game for a few years.