You can choose which categories you want to be notified for.
Don’t hold your breath.
With Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the future of the gaming publisher’s most popular titles, like World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Call of Duty, is in flux and fans are questioning how the move will affect their favorite games.
As anyone who’s played the game for an extensive period of time knows, World of Warcraft is monetized by Blizzard through a subscription-based model that requires players to pay around $15 a month per account.
Given the model that the game uses, there’s a chance that the game could fit into Microsoft’s Xbox PC Game Pass because the Game Pass also follows a subscription model. The Game Pass is a $9.99 per month subscription that gives gamers access to a catalog of games.
But the subscription-based model is where the similarities end.
Given WoW’s status as one of the most popular MMOs of all time, it has a heavily invested player base of fans, many of whom tend to play WoW without playing other games. In contrast, the PC Game Pass is intended to be for gamers who are looking for variety.
In a statement released this morning, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer suggested that the company doesn’t intend on making vast changes to the established norms of Activision Blizzard’s popular titles. But he left the door open for games by the company to be a part of the Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.
“Upon close, we will offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalog,” Spencer said.
While it’s likely that many Activision Blizzard games will end up on the Game Pass, the fact that WoW already operates with a subscription model that costs more than the Game Pass’ monthly fee means it’s likely one of the reasons Spencer said “as many Activision Blizzard games as we can,” instead of saying that all games would be in the Game Pass.
Microsoft has not made any official decision regarding whether or not any specific title will be a part of the Xbox Game Pass or the PC Game Pass yet. The close of Activision Blizzard’s acquisition likely won’t happen until 2023. Microsoft said it intends to complete the transaction before the end of the 2023 fiscal year.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
© 2021 Dot Esports
