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Activision Blizzard

SCORE6.4FAIR

Microsoft-owned since Oct 2023 — Call of Duty, Diablo, World of Warcraft, Overwatch

BEST FORXbox Game Pass subscribers who want day-one access to Call of Duty, Diablo IV, and Overwatch 2. Activision Blizzard titles are included in Game Pass Ultimate at $22.99 per month (after price changes: raised to $29.99 in October 2025, then cut to $22.99 in April 2026) — though future Call of Duty titles lose day-one Game Pass inclusion starting October 2026.
Reviewed by the Clientele Research Team · Last checked 9 days ago (2026-07-15)
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Scores — click any row to see our rationale
Game Quality▼7.5/10

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II scored 77-79/100 depending on platform (PC 79). Diablo IV scored 86/100 at launch on PC/PS5. World of Warcraft is the longest-running subscription MMO. Quality is consistent without being exceptional.

Player Respect▼4.5/10

Overwatch 2 went free-to-play but required existing Overwatch 1 owners to start over, abandoning a one-time $40 purchase model. Call of Duty cosmetic bundles are priced at $20–24 per set in a $70 base game.

Catalog Depth▼8/10

Call of Duty, Diablo, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, StarCraft, Hearthstone, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro — a deep catalog across FPS, ARPG, MMO, RTS, and card game genres.

Value▼6.5/10

Activision Blizzard titles are included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, now priced at $22.99 per month after two changes (raised to $29.99 in October 2025, cut to $22.99 in April 2026). Call of Duty: Warzone is free-to-play. Without Game Pass, individual game pricing is $70. Starting October 2026, future Call of Duty titles will no longer get day-one Game Pass inclusion, weakening the subscription's value proposition going forward.

Innovation▼5.5/10

World of Warcraft established the subscription MMO format in 2004. Diablo IV follows Diablo III's template closely. No genre-defining new concept has been introduced since.

KNOWN FOR
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)Diablo II (2000)World of Warcraft (2004)Overwatch (2016)StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010)
PROS
✓Activision Blizzard titles, including new Call of Duty releases through 2026, are included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at $22.99 per month — though that day-one Call of Duty inclusion ends for future titles starting October 2026.
✓Call of Duty: Warzone and Overwatch 2 are both free-to-play with no pay-to-win mechanics in ranked competitive modes.
CONS
✕Overwatch 2 replaced Overwatch 1 and its one-time $40 purchase model with a battle pass system. Existing owners lost access to their paid game and cosmetics were locked behind new spending.
✕Call of Duty cosmetic bundles are priced at $20–24 per bundle in a game sold at $70.
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