It's been confirmed by Phil Spencer, Xbox CEO and head of Microsoft's gaming division, that no games from Activision Blizzard will be available on Xbox Game Pass until the next year. This unexpected development arises from the delays caused by recently-concluded regulatory processes associated with Activision's acquisition.
In the recent episode of the official Xbox podcast, Spencer pointed out that when they wrapped up the procurement of Bethesda, they were able to bring many of the back catalog games to the table and showcase the company's history. However, he admitted that this wasn't possible with Activision Blizzard King because of prolonged regulatory processes, which were uncertain until a week before the deal was concluded. The verdict from the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) prevented any collaborative work with primarily Activision Blizzard on their existing games.
Now that the deal is formally sealed, efforts to bring the video games onto the platform have commenced. An accurate timeline indicated by the official Activision Twitter suggests that the process may take until 2024.
Activision had previously stated that they don't have plans to introduce some of their popular titles like "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III" and "Diablo 4" to the Game Pass this year. This announcement was made just before the closure of the deal. However, Activision expressed its intent to collaborate with Xbox to make their games more accessible to players globally once the deal kicks off.
The Xbox head shared his disappointment about not being able to celebrate the new acquisition with some surprise content drops in the next weeks, but this won't be the case. Spencer understands that the audience might be let down, especially if they were anticipating their favorite new game on the subscription this year. This transaction, however, has been made with a long-term vision in mind. The absence of an initial flood of games on Game Pass was referred to as a "downer" by Phil Spencer, but he remained optimistic and excited about the prospective future.
To add to these developments, it's worth mentioning that Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick, who had been under scrutiny, is committed to stay till the end of 2023, as requested by Spencer. The leadership stability is expected to be a beneficial influence on the entire process and smooth transition of Activision games to Xbox Game Pass. Thus, despite the delays and changes, anticipation continues to build among players for what promises to be an incredible gaming era.
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