In a shocking turn of events, the beloved franchise Call of Duty is witnessing a stark decline in player engagement, even with the recent launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Xbox Game Pass. Despite hopes that this major update would revitalize interest, player numbers are trailing behind last year's figures.

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard was expected to lead to a surge in sales and subscriptions, especially with Call of Duty games now available on Xbox Game Pass from launch day. However, the financial boost has been minimal, with only a meager 2% uptick in Game Pass subscriptions following the release of Black Ops 6.

According to analytics firm Ampere, while Black Ops 6 initially attracted 33.7 million players when it debuted in November, this number has dramatically fallen, dropping to just 20.6 million players by March 2025. This represents a concerning trend, especially when compared to the previous years where player counts were significantly higher.

The decline can particularly be linked to the lukewarm reception of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 released in 2023. Players criticized the story campaign as being little more than recycled downloadable content (DLC), which likely impacted overall interest in the franchise. On top of that, Black Ops 6, while performing well initially, failed to sustain that momentum.

In essence, despite the franchise remaining a titan in the gaming world, players are gradually losing interest, raising concerns about its long-term viability.