October 25 became a historic date in the gaming industry: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 reached new heights, becoming the most successful Call of Duty launch by Activision in history, as reported by Microsoft during the quarterly report this past Wednesday.

According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the new installment of the Call of Duty franchise broke previous records for the number of players on launch day and contributed to a significant increase in new Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

Sales also reflected wide player interest: sales on PlayStation and Windows PC through Steam jumped by 60% compared to last year's release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Microsoft CFO Amy Hood noted that this launch differs from the previous franchise releases. While most Modern Warfare 3 purchases happened in the first fiscal quarter after the game's release, Hood expects that Black Ops 6 will continue to generate revenue for several months, partly due to its availability on Xbox Game Pass from day one. Since the game requires a constant internet connection for Xbox users, players purchasing the game also need an Xbox subscription, which ensures stable revenue for Microsoft.

The results exceeded expectations due to strong performance in both first-party and third-party content, as well as consoles.

Amy Hood

Specifically, revenue from Xbox content and services increased by 61%. The success of Black Ops 6, along with other releases, made a significant contribution to this high metric.

The release of Black Ops 6 marked the first time a Call of Duty launch on Game Pass was available on the game's release day. This unprecedented access was made possible by Microsoft's recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, allowing popular games to be included in the Game Pass library from day one.

Activision Blizzard also confirmed to the Washington Post that the Call of Duty franchise has exceeded 500 million copies sold, cementing its status as one of the best-selling series in video game history.

The events of Black Ops 6 take place in the early 1990s during the Gulf War, offering an immersive experience of covert operations inspired by real events, while maintaining the franchise's characteristic narrative style.