As the gaming community currently looks for exciting titles within the expansive realm of Xbox Game Pass, one particular question is arguably at the forefront of players’ minds: is Modern Warfare 3 on Game Pass? There’s huge anticipation surrounding the inclusion of Modern Warfare 3 on Xbox’s subscription-based service, where members can enjoy access to fantastic games within PC or console libraries.
In this article, we’re going to dig right to the bottom of this topic by detailing whether players will get to enjoy Game Pass access to a title that promises an unparalleled warfare experience within an adrenaline-pumping virtual battleground. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 going to be on Game Pass?
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 will not be available to play on Game Pass when the release date comes around.
However, our pre order guide contains all of the platforms the game will launch on and details on the bonuses you can get your hands on.
Now, if you’re an existing subscriber to the Xbox Game Pass service, you’re probably wondering why this is the case. Given the recent Activision and Microsoft merger, you’d expect to be able to play the latest Call of Duty Game on Xbox Series X|S or PC through a standard Game Pass membership.
However, Activision currently has an existing marketing agreement in place with Sony’s PlayStation, which prohibits the game’s inclusion on the Game Pass subscription service.
- Read more: Does Modern Warfare 3 have SBMM?
Will Call of Duty come to Game Pass?
There’s good news and bad news here. We’ll start with the positive part first before ending with a slight downer.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 has a fair chance of making it onto Xbox Game Pass in the future, especially because Microsoft will be pushing to maintain their position of dominance within the cloud gaming market.
The publisher won’t pass up the chance to promote one of the world’s most competitive first-person shooting games on their online membership.
Here’s what Microsoft’s Gaming CEO Phil Spencer had to say about the Activision Blizzard acquisition and its library of games being made available to Xbox Game Pass:
We intend to make Activision Blizzard’s much-loved library of games – including Overwatch, Diablo and Call of Duty – available in Game Pass and to grow those gaming communities. By delivering even more value to players, we hope to continue growing Game Pass, extending its appeal to mobile phones and any connected device.
But sadly, players shouldn’t expect Modern Warfare 3 to make it on to Game Pass any time soon, as PlayStation’s ongoing contract with Activision explicitly prohibits the inclusion of this title on Game Pass.
This legally binding contract expires in 2025, which is when we can expect the lifting of the existing restriction barring the game from being included on the Game Pass library.
So, in a nutshell, avid Call of Duty players will have to be patient enough to wait until 2025 at the earliest for Modern Warfare 3 to make its way onto Xbox’s Game Pass platform.
That's all there is to know about Modern Warfare 3 appearing on Game Pass. For more, take a look at our guides showcasing the rumoured gun list and perks expected to arrive when multiplayer launches.