Xbox Game Pass Adds Black Ops Cold War Today

Remember when you thought your Game Pass subscription would get you every Call of Duty game ever made? Well, Microsoft is still taking its sweet time, but today they've added another fan favorite to the lineup.

Starting September 8, 2020's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is live on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass. That means you can jump into the Cold War-era action right now, whether you're on console or PC, and it supports cloud streaming too, so you can even play on your phone if you're feeling particularly sneaky.

Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops Cold War drops you into 1981, right in the thick of the Cold War. You'll step into the boots of Russell Adler as he hunts down a mysterious spy named Perseus. And if you're not into the single-player campaign, don't worry—the game's got all the multiplayer chaos you'd expect, plus the ever-popular Zombies mode. It was a massive hit back in the day, actually becoming the best-selling game of 2020 in the US, so there's a reason it's still talked about.

This isn't the only new addition this month either. Game Pass is gearing up for a busy September, with The Royal Writ and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O World Stage arriving on September 10, followed by RuneScape: Dragonwilds on September 15. So if you're already subscribed, you've got a whole buffet of games coming your way.

But let's talk about the elephant in the room: why has it taken so long for Black Ops Cold War to get here? When Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard, everyone assumed the back catalog of CoD games would flood Game Pass like a tidal wave. Instead, Microsoft has been drip-feeding us, adding titles one by one. Black Ops Cold War is now just the sixth Call of Duty game on the service, joining Call of Duty: WWII, Vanguard, Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare 3, and Black Ops 6.

Now, here's the kicker: Modern Warfare 3 and Black Ops 6 both launched day-and-date into Game Pass, but that's about to change. Starting this year, that day-one perk is ending. So if you want to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 when it drops this October, you'll have to fork over the cash or wait a year for it to (maybe) hit Game Pass. That's a tough pill to swallow for subscribers.

What do you think of Microsoft's selective approach? Happy to see Black Ops Cold War finally arrive, or are you holding out for more? Let us know in the comments!