Call of Duty lost 2 million players in Black Ops 6 compared to previous titles despite Xbox Game Pass access

Black Ops 6 has lost about two million players for the COD franchise on Xbox. According to Ampere Analysis, Call of Duty had 22.4 million players on the platform in March 2023. This number was positive in comparison to previous titles; however, Black Ops 6 currently stands at 20.6 million players on the platform as of March 2025. Moreover, this is only slightly lower than March 2024, when it had 20.8 million players.

The decline has been sharp and steady. This is especially significant, considering Black Ops 6 was available on Xbox Game Pass on launch.

Black Ops 6 loses Call of Duty player count despite Xbox Game Pass access

Call of Duty experienced an 11% spike in the number of Xbox Game Pass subscribers playing it in 2025's first quarter. This indicates some positive growth; however, compared to the number of Modern Warfare II players from 2023, the increase looks minimal at best. This is because in March 2025, the game had about two million fewer players on Game Pass than in 2023.

Black Ops 6 loses 2 million players for the franchise (Image via X/@NerosCinema)

When Black Ops 6 released in October 2024, it was the grandest launch in the franchise's history. Its availability on Xbox Game Pass immediately at launch should also have been a growth-inducing factor. However, the numbers did not fully reflect the extent of growth one may have expected.

According to Ampere, Xbox users contributed 47% of the player base for the game in November 2024. In March 2025, this figure had come down to less than 37%. It almost appears as if Game Pass availability did not affect the game as it should have. The player count is still fluctuating and falling.

The numbers are even more concerning once one realizes that Game Pass has over 35 million subscribers worldwide. Even Steam Charts indicate high fluctuation in the numbers of players in Call of Duty, with less than 100k players online over long weeks from March to May 2025.

These trends in Call of Duty's player count are certainly troubling news.

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About the author

Prit is an observer, writer, and enthusiastic player of several FPS games. He's been playing games for far longer than he has been writing about them which gives him the unique perspective of a hardened player. He's also spent years writing content, novels, songs, and short stories to master his grip on the written word.

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Edited by Niladri Roy