Activision Blizzard
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 1 month ago (2026-08-03)
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Scores. Click any row to see our rationale
Game Quality▼7.5/10
Player Respect▼4.5/10
Catalog Depth▼8/10
Value▼6.5/10
Innovation▼5.5/10
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.
✓World of Warcraft: Midnight launched March 2, 2026, keeping the 20+ year MMO subscription (still $15/month base) actively expanding with new content.
✓Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred expansion, releasing 2026, adds a new campaign and classes, with a Paladin class available immediately to pre-purchasers.
✓Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 (2025) supports cross-platform online multiplayer for up to 8 skaters, adding variety beyond the Call of Duty/Blizzard core.
✓Hearthstone continues a steady expansion cadence (roughly three per year), giving card game fans predictable new content.
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.
✕Starting October 2026, future Call of Duty titles will no longer get day-one Xbox Game Pass inclusion, weakening the subscription's appeal for CoD-focused subscribers going forward.
✕Activision released just two titles in all of 2025 (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7), a sharp drop from the studio's historic output of a dozen games a year.
✕World of Warcraft subscription pricing has been rising in several regions (UK, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkey saw hikes of 7-37% in 2026), suggesting US price increases could follow.