Phil Spencer Clarifies the Absence of Activision Games on Game Pass in 2023

With Xbox's recent acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, many gamers have wondered why titles like Call of Duty and Diablo aren't immediately available on Game Pass. This question was addressed by Xbox head Phil Spencer during a recent appearance on the Official Xbox Podcast.

In the podcast, Spencer discussed the delay in introducing a substantial lineup of Activision-Blizzard games to Game Pass following the acquisition's completion. It was noted that when Xbox acquired Zenimax, a significant influx of Game Pass titles occurred shortly after, featuring around twenty Bethesda games, including some of their most iconic franchises.

So, where are all the Activision Blizzard games, and why is this situation different? According to Phil Spencer, they are indeed on the way, but the regulatory challenges surrounding this acquisition have made the process more complex compared to the Zenimax deal. Adding these games to Game Pass is not as straightforward as a simple switch flip.

"The truth of the matter is with Activision/Blizzard/King that the regulatory process took so long, and frankly there was a lot of uncertainty in that process up until really a week before we closed, or the week of, when the CMA finally came down to their decision, that we weren't able to get in and work with mostly Activision-Blizzard in this case, on that back catalog work," Spencer explained.

"So now that the deal is closed, we're starting that work, but there is work. And...the Twitter handle did put out something that talked about 2024, I think that's accurate. I would love it if there was some kind of secret celebration drop that was coming in the next couple of weeks, there's not."

Spencer also expressed understanding that the absence of an immediate surprise release might be disappointing to gamers. However, he provided reassurance that the games, including highly anticipated titles like Diablo 4 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, are indeed in the pipeline and will be made available in due time.

During the same interview, he emphasized Xbox's commitment to ensuring "100% parity" for Call of Duty games across all platforms, which includes PlayStation. This stance aligns with Xbox's 10-year agreement with Sony.

The closure of Xbox's acquisition of Activision Blizzard was officially confirmed last week, marking the culmination of a $69 billion deal. This acquisition followed over a year of legal and regulatory challenges in multiple countries.