ARTICLE · · BY BOSS ROOM
Call of Duty: Game Pass Got You In. Now Xbox Wants You to Pay Again.
Microsoft has changed the deal for Game Pass subscribers, but Modern Warfare 4 might offer a compelling reason to return to Call of Duty. Here's what's changed, what's worth playing and whether the new release deserves your money.
A familiar franchise, a different proposition
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 arrived on 23 October with a new campaign, competitive multiplayer and an ambitious expansion of DMZ. Early reviews suggest Infinity Ward has delivered a welcome return to form, particularly for players who preferred the series before movement became quite so acrobatic.
There's plenty to consider if you haven't played Call of Duty in a while, although there's also a significant change to how Xbox players access it.
Xbox changed the deal, but should we be surprised?
Microsoft spent US$68.7 billion acquiring Activision Blizzard in 2023, subsequently making Call of Duty a compelling reason to subscribe to Game Pass. Xbox leadership publicly committed to day one releases, a promise fulfilled with Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7.
The strategy worked, with Black Ops 6 delivering record new Game Pass subscriptions at launch. Microsoft had demonstrated that one of gaming's biggest franchises could attract players into its ecosystem.
Then, following a change in leadership, the strategy shifted.
In April 2026, Microsoft announced that future Call of Duty releases would no longer arrive on Game Pass at launch. Modern Warfare 4 won't join until Holiday 2027, potentially around the release of the next annual instalment.
To Microsoft's credit, subscribers received six months' warning and reduced subscription pricing. Nobody should be particularly surprised, although that doesn't make the loss of a previously promoted benefit any less disappointing.
There's also a commercial reality worth considering. Microsoft now owns the publisher behind Call of Duty, meaning sales across PlayStation, Xbox and PC all generate revenue for its business, alongside the ongoing seasonal content and in-game purchases that sustain the franchise.
Microsoft doesn't necessarily need Call of Duty to sell Xbox consoles or Game Pass subscriptions when it can earn publishing revenue wherever its audience chooses to play. That multiplatform opportunity was part of the acquisition's financial rationale from the beginning.
“The concern isn't that Microsoft wants to make money. It's how the company increasingly appears to be pursuing it.”
A strong subscription business should grow by delivering compelling value. Give players more reasons to subscribe, reward their loyalty and the commercial returns should follow. Xbox appears to be taking a different approach. Having used Call of Duty to attract subscribers, it's now removing one of the benefits that helped bring them aboard, apparently in pursuit of greater revenue from individual game sales.
That might improve the next earnings report, but what does it do for confidence in Game Pass over the next five years?
There's a fundamental difference between making customers want to spend more and finding ways to make them pay more.
Of course, none of this tells us whether Modern Warfare 4 is actually worth buying.
Has Call of Duty found its footing again?
For players who stepped away because multiplayer became an increasingly frantic contest of sliding, jumping and elaborate movement techniques, Modern Warfare 4 offers something more grounded.
Weapons feel weightier, positioning matters more and combat places greater emphasis on accurate shooting. It's still fast, but the approach is closer to traditional Modern Warfare than the exaggerated movement of recent Black Ops releases.
There are three distinct experiences, each offering something different.
Campaign: Familiar cinematic spectacle
The approximately six-hour campaign follows a conflict on the Korean Peninsula, alongside Captain Price's separate operations. Expect the cinematic action and large set pieces familiar to Modern Warfare veterans, with occasional opportunities to approach objectives more freely.
Early reviewers praise its atmosphere, spectacle and stronger character moments, although Price's storyline has attracted mixed reactions.
It's accessible, entertaining and suitable for newcomers, but a relatively short campaign is difficult to justify as the sole reason for purchasing the game.
Multiplayer: Back to basics
Traditional multiplayer remains Call of Duty's biggest attraction, with Team Deathmatch, Domination and Hardpoint providing familiar competitive matches, generally lasting five to ten minutes.
The launch includes 20 maps across several formats. Larger 32v32 Ground War battles offer something closer to Battlefield, while Collateral introduces tactical rounds with weapon purchasing, borrowing a familiar concept from Counter-Strike.
Kill Block provides another interesting variation, with a modular battlefield that changes between rounds, forcing players to adapt rather than simply memorise routes.
Early reviews praise the satisfying gunplay, excellent audio and more grounded movement. Strict matchmaking, inconsistent spawns and an overwhelming number of weapon attachments remain frustrating, however.
Returning players should find the fundamentals familiar, although competing against experienced players still presents a substantial learning curve.
DMZ: The biggest reason to return?
DMZ might be Modern Warfare 4's most interesting offering, particularly for people who enjoy Warzone but want something beyond traditional battle royale.
Think familiar Call of Duty combat combined with the exploration, objectives and extraction mechanics of ARC Raiders or Escape from Tarkov.
Players enter a large contested environment, complete missions, collect resources and attempt to extract, with deployments lasting up to 30 minutes. Other players and AI enemies create unpredictable encounters along the way.
What makes DMZ more approachable is its forgiving progression system. Banked earnings, permanent upgrades and streamlined equipment management mean unsuccessful missions don't necessarily erase hours of progress.
Early coverage from PC Gamer highlights how simple objectives can develop into unexpected adventures, although ordinary AI enemies, repetitive missions and uncertain long-term PvP balance remain concerns.
For anyone curious about extraction shooters but intimidated by their demanding systems, DMZ could be a particularly appealing introduction.
So, should you buy Modern Warfare 4?
Dedicated Call of Duty players probably made their decision months ago. For everyone else, the question is whether there's enough here to justify returning.
If you previously enjoyed Modern Warfare but grew tired of increasingly exaggerated movement, the renewed emphasis on grounded combat is encouraging. If you enjoy Warzone, DMZ offers a substantial alternative focused on exploration, objectives and progression rather than surviving until the final circle.
Players primarily interested in the campaign would be better served waiting for a discount. Those already satisfied with free Warzone have little reason to purchase MW4 solely for familiar shooting mechanics.
The early critical consensus suggests Infinity Ward has delivered a more cohesive experience by improving the fundamentals rather than chasing novelty, while giving DMZ enough substance to stand on its own.
That makes Modern Warfare 4 easier to recommend than the Game Pass decision surrounding it.
Whether it's worth buying ultimately comes down to how much of that experience you'll actually play.
WISKY'S TASTING NOTESApparently day one access is still available. It's just moved from Game Pass to your credit card.
What did you think?