The question has been floating around Xbox circles for a while now, and VGC's podcast team finally put it front and center. The latest episode of VGC: The Video Game Podcast, published April 17, 2026, takes a direct look at whether Xbox should pull Call of Duty from Game Pass entirely.
The case for pulling COD from the subscription
Here's the thing: Call of Duty is one of the best-selling games on the planet every single year. Putting a franchise that routinely moves tens of millions of units inside a flat-rate subscription is a decision that has always raised eyebrows among analysts and players alike. The VGC team, hosted by Jordan Middler, Chris Scullion, Andy Robinson, and broadcaster Pete Donaldson, digs into whether the math actually works in Xbox's favor.
The argument against keeping it in Game Pass centers on revenue. Players who would otherwise spend $70 or more on the latest Call of Duty entry are instead accessing it through a monthly subscription. If even a fraction of those buyers are converting to subscribers rather than purchasing outright, the long-term revenue gap could be significant.
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Xbox has never publicly disclosed how many Game Pass subscribers specifically joined because of Call of Duty's inclusion, making any revenue impact estimate largely speculative at this stage.
What removing it would actually mean for subscribers
For the average Game Pass subscriber, losing Call of Duty would sting. It's one of the service's biggest draws, and its absence would likely push some players back to individual purchases or off the platform entirely. The key here is that Xbox used Call of Duty's inclusion as a major selling point when it completed the Activision Blizzard acquisition, so walking that back carries real reputational weight.
The flip side is that Microsoft could position a premium tier or a separate Call of Duty-specific add-on as a middle ground. That kind of tiered approach is already familiar to subscribers through the Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass split, so the infrastructure exists.
Fable delay and Pragmata also on the table
The episode doesn't stop at Call of Duty. The VGC team also covers a reported delay for Fable, which has reportedly been pushed back due to concerns around GTA 6's release window, a scheduling consideration that several major studios appear to be navigating right now. Andy Robinson also shares his impressions of Pragmata, Capcom's long-in-development sci-fi action game that has finally started generating hands-on coverage.
The podcast drops weekly and is available on iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon Music. Patreon supporters get access to bonus episodes, including a recent conversation with Ghost of Yotei star Erika Ishii, who said she would "jump" at the chance to reprise her role as Atsu.
Why this conversation keeps coming back
The Call of Duty and Game Pass debate isn't new, but it keeps resurfacing because Xbox's broader strategy remains in flux. The company has been navigating its gaming news positioning carefully since the Activision deal closed, and every quarter that passes without a clear answer on long-term Game Pass economics adds fuel to the discussion.
What most players miss is that this isn't purely a financial debate. It's also about what Game Pass is supposed to be. If the service is meant to be the Netflix of gaming, then flagship titles like Call of Duty are table stakes. If it's meant to be a curated discovery platform, the calculus looks completely different.
The VGC podcast is worth a listen if you want the full breakdown. For more context on how Xbox's subscription strategy is shaping up, browse our latest gaming content to stay across the developments as they come.
