While members of the Xbox gaming service, ostensibly described as a Netflix for games, will indeed be able to play the shooter upon its release, how much of it they can access will be contingent on their subscription plan.
Crucially, the multiplayer part of the game, which is arguably its biggest draw for most players, will only be available on the priciest tier for Xbox owners. That massive caveat has surprisingly been missing from most of the press around the massively hyped game.
To help break it down for eager gamers, here’s a simple guide on how to play Black Ops 6 on Game Pass unrestricted.
Can you play Black Ops 6 on Game Pass for console?
Before we start, it’s important to note that none of this applies to you if you’re planning on buying the game outright on Xbox.
Game Pass members on console will have to opt for the Ultimate tier to unlock Black Ops’ multiplayer mode
Microsoft
For everyone else, the gist of it is that customers on the cheaper Game Pass for console tier, which costs £9 per month, won’t be able to play multiplayer on Black Ops 6. That means no Team Deathmatch, Domination, or Hardpoint matches.
Why? Simply put, the console plan doesn’t offer support for online multiplayer for anything outside of free-to-play games. Hence, while you can play Fortnite and, confusingly, Call of Duty: Warzone, you won’t be able to play Black Ops 6 multiplayer.
For that, you’ll need to opt for a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which is currently £13 per month – a significant increase from the console tier.
Will Microsoft charge more for Game Pass Ultimate?
We say currently because there have been rumblings that Microsoft could jack up the price of Ultimate to accommodate the new Call of Duty.
From a commercial perspective, the move would make sense: after all, it’s foregoing a huge sum of money from people who would have otherwise purchased the game by putting it on Game Pass.
The top tier also works across consoles and PC, grants you access to EA Play games and online game streaming.
What is the best Game Pass plan?
Looking at Game Pass as a whole, it’s safe to say that Microsoft doesn’t exactly make it easy to choose a plan. Some of the options are hidden on the Game Pass website, features and tiers have been rebranded, and there have been staggered launches.
To make life a little easier, we’ve listed all of the available plans below, with info on their main perks.
Game Pass Core (£7 per month)
- A smaller library of around 40 games with little to no new additions
- Online console multiplayer
- Deals and discounts
- Cons: No Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Game Pass for console (£9 per month)
- The full library of around 400 games with new titles added every month
- Xbox first-party games released on day one
- Deals and Discounts
- Cons: No support for Black Ops 6 multiplayer
Game Pass for PC (£8 per month)
- The full library of around 400 games with new titles added every month
- Xbox first-party games released on day one
- Online multiplayer support as standard
Game Pass Ultimate (£13 per month)
- The full library of around 400 games with new titles added every month
- For consoles and PC
- Xbox first-party games released on day one
- Support for online multiplayer
- EA Play membership and games
- Ability to stream games on multiple platforms
When is Black Ops 6 coming out?
After months of speculation following its mega-acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has finally confirmed that the series’ next entry (Black Ops 6) will be on Game Pass on day one (aka upon launch).
While we still don’t have an exact release date for the game, almost everyone is pointing to an October 25 arrival for the Gulf War-set shooter.