Xbox and PlayStation gamers remain locked into Call of Duty, with the game leading as the most-played title following a free trial event.
In the world of video games, the battle for supremacy continues, and this week is no exception. According to a report from Circana, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has retained its throne as the most-played game on both Xbox and PlayStation consoles for the week of Dec. 21.
Black Ops 6, released on October 25, 2024, made history by being the first Call of Duty title available day-one on Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming, providing instant access to subscribers without additional purchase. The game also launched across all major platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
However, the game's debut was not without controversy and hiccups. Players have expressed frustrations with Black Ops 6's season 1 launch, including underperforming cheat mitigation efforts and performance issues. Despite these challenges, players continue to get into the game, as evidenced by its top spot on the sales charts.
A new development in the game's strategy is the announcement of a premium "Event Pass" microtransaction for the new limited-time event. This move is aimed at maintaining player engagement and potentially attracting new players.
In an interview with the BBC, Miles Leslie, a director for Call of Duty at Treyarch, spoke positively about the impact of Game Pass on Black Ops 6. Leslie mentioned that Game Pass has allowed players who were on the fence or had friction to try the game.
Meanwhile, Fortnite holds the second spot on Xbox consoles for the same week, while Roblox maintains its position at number five on PlayStation consoles. Interestingly, Roblox is replaced by NBA 2K25 for the same position on Xbox consoles.
Marvel Rivals takes over the third position on Xbox consoles for the same week, and Grand Theft Auto 5 Remastered moves two spots up to number four on Xbox consoles.
On the PC platform, Call of Duty HQ, which includes Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone, can be played for free. The game has seen a 24-hour peak of 103,356 concurrent players, according to SteamDB.info. However, players have also expressed frustrations with Black Ops 6's season 1 launch on the PC platform.
Activision has begun promoting a new limited-time event that includes a crossover between Black Ops 6 and Netflix's Squid Game Season 2. This move is aimed at engaging the player base and potentially attracting new players.
In summary, while day-one availability on Game Pass is a notable strategic move likely aimed at boosting player numbers and broadening initial reach, there is currently no direct data or analysis publicly confirming how this impacted Black Ops 6’s player count or sales metrics. Further information from Activision or Xbox would be required to quantify this effect.
- The premium Event Pass, a new microtransaction announced for Black Ops 6's limited-time event, aims to keep players engaged and potentially attract new ones, not dissimilar to Microsoft's strategy with Xbox Game Pass.
- Although Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has been controversial and faced challenges such as underperforming cheat mitigation efforts and performance issues, it continues to be played extensively on PC platforms, often in the company of games like Call of Duty: Warzone.
- In the realm of entertainment that spans consoles and PC gaming,Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's collaboration with Netflix's Squid Game Season 2 offers an exciting crossover, hoping to engage the player base and expand the title's reach even further, reminiscent of the synergy between gaming and other forms of entertainment offered by Microsoft and its platforms like Xbox and PC.
