Xbox fans are compiling lists of all the Activision, Bethesda, and Microsoft games still missing from Xbox Game Pass — and it's pretty huge

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Microsoft's merged with Activision-Blizzard has been complete for a couple of years now almost, but activating Activision's back catalog on Xbox Game Pass has been a bit of a slow burn. Why? Let's analyse.

Activision banner with missing on it
Many of these games have shown up on Xbox Game Pass, but many, many more are still missing. (Image credit: @Klobrille on X)

Microsoft closed its deal for Activision-Blizzard a couple of years ago, and Xbox Game Pass users have reaped many benefits since.

Call of Duty is now officially part of the Xbox Game Pass line-up, fulfilling promises Microsoft made to both fans and regulators as an example of its pro-consumer commitment to the merger. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $19.99 per month, and nets you day one access to all new Activision, Bethesda, and Xbox Games Studios titles. However, some fans aren't satisfied.

Why? Microsoft previously implied that the plan was to bring all Activision-Blizzard titles to Xbox Game Pass — depending on how you interpret the comments. Either way, they were ambiguous enough to have set lots of expectations about the potential here, and so far, we've only really had a drip feed of content here and there, rather than a full flood.

So, what games are missing, what exactly did Xbox say about it, and why has it been so slow? Let's analyse what we know.

What did Microsoft say about Activision games coming to Game Pass?

Activision King Blizzard logos

Microsoft's merger with Activision-Blizzard-King has brought many benefits to Xbox Game Pass users, but many are wondering why it hasn't gone further. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)

Microsoft itself raised expectations around Activision titles coming to Xbox Game Pass. In a 2022 blog post penned by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, the firm positioned the Activision-Blizzard-King acquisition as one that would improve access to Activision's rather pricey back catalog, citing games like Diablo, Call of Duty, and Overwatch.

"Subscription services like Game Pass make gaming more affordable and help players from all over the world find their next favorite game. Game Pass empowers developers to bring more games to more players, not fewer. 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."

Microsoft reiterated this commitment in a 2024 blog post when it dropped Diablo IV into Game Pass, stating, "There will be even more to play as we begin to fulfill our commitment to offer Activision and Blizzard games with Game Pass, both new releases and classic games from its legendary catalog. We’re excited to bring more of the biggest games to our 34M XGP subscribers."

Since then, Microsoft has added a decent offering of titles from Activision and Blizzard. We have the classic Warcraft and StarCraft games, Diablo III and IV, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Tony Hawk titles. There's also four Call of Duty titles in the service, and perks for free-to-play titles like Overwatch 2, CoD: Warzone, and Heroes of the Storm. The acquisition also solved long-standing publishing issues for titles like Hexen, freeing them up to finally get ports to modern platforms.

But, the offering truly pales in comparison to Activision's full back catalog, as you can see below.

The list of missing Microsoft-owned games is extensive

As compiled by X user Crusader3456, the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet is incredibly large, and yet still isn't truly exhaustive. Activision's extensive back catalog runs all the way back to the 80s, and many of those retro titles have been making their way across to cloud-based platform Antstream Arcade, included free via Xbox Game Pass as part of an app called Xbox Retro Classics. This list mainly covers Xbox 360 games and up.

The list also includes some titles from Bethesda and Microsoft itself that never made their way across, although many are still being compiled. If there's a game you're particularly interested in seeing make the list, hit the comments.

Hit the link above to expand to the full table, or head here for a deeper breakdown on Google Sheets. Many aren't on there likely due to licensing issues around Xbox backwards compatibility. Microsoft previously noted that it had exhausted all of its legal options for certain games, owing to a plurality of legal issues stemming from expired sound effects licenses to rights holders being uncontactable.

But ... there are also plenty on the list that are available on Xbox backwards compatibility, circumventing licensing issues, that are also unavailable on Xbox Game Pass.

Microsoft said it wanted to put Activision's "much loved library of games" onto Xbox Game Pass, so why hasn't it happened yet?

So ... why aren't they there yet?

Xbox Game Pass display at Gamescom

Game Pass is under constant scrutiny. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)

Just this past weekend, former Bethesda exec Pete Hines attacked Xbox Game Pass, drawing attention to its retail sales cannibalization. Other game industry alumni chimed in, including former PlayStation exec Shawn Layden and Xbox veteran Shannon Loftis, essentially calling attention to the idea that Xbox Game Pass results in less investment for first-party developers who are forced by Microsoft to participate in the program.

Microsoft sources previously told me that Xbox Game Pass accounts for sales cannibalization using an equation and then charges the business back to studios, although it does seem as though there is a very delicate balancing act Microsoft is running up against to make Xbox Game Pass work.

For example, Microsoft moved the "day one games" promise from the cheaper $12.99 tier into the highest $19.99 Xbox Game Pass tier last year, ahead of Call of Duty's inclusion. Call of Duty is a very, very expensive game to make and maintain, and any disruption to the business model therein could threaten the entire franchise — particularly as Battlefield 6 looks increasingly hot this year. That's probably why we haven't seen World of Warcraft or Elder Scrolls Online hit Xbox Game Pass, given that both (more so WoW than ESO), rely on in-game subscription services to power their business models.

Speaking of Call of Duty, Microsoft is probably cognizant of the fact that many Call of Duty players would probably migrate to classic Call of Duty titles if they were more broadly available. The older CoD games do not monetize as strongly as the newer ones, owing to fewer skins and things like that. Ironically, Activision's insistence on goofy skins has led to a huge backlash against the game, forcing them to quite literally publicly commit to keeping things more grounded in the future.

Prototype

[PROTOTYPE] and the Activision Xbox 360 Transformers titles are two games I often get asked about with regards to Xbox Game Pass and backward compatibility. (Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Other older games not showing up, such as MechAssault, are simply the result of complex and outdated legal agreements between rights holders. Microsoft owns the full rights to license video games based on the BattleTech / MechAssault / MechWarrior tabletop universe, but it doesn't own the full rights to the franchises wholesale, making re-publishing older entries a little legally murky. Microsoft errs on the side of caution with regards to things like this, given that it's often such a huge target for opportunistic litigators.

But, more broadly, the real reason Microsoft hasn't simply flooded Xbox Game Pass with Activision's back catalog is, again, likely due to cannibalization. If Microsoft aggressively dumped 30+ old Activision titles into Xbox Game Pass, it threatens the engagement bonuses third-party developers in the program get to enjoy. Keeping third-party developers happy, particularly indies who use Xbox Game Pass royalties as part of their business models, is a delicate balancing act. It perhaps wouldn't be as much of an issue if Xbox Game Pass was seeing significant growth, but there's no evidence that it is right now.

Indeed, given that Xbox Game Pass isn't really growing (particularly so on console), Microsoft has to be pretty careful how it manages what games are available. It could be argued that they're potentially being too conservative, and that adding more nostalgic games like the original Xbox 360 back compat Call of Duty games could drive more interest in the Xbox platform all up — but it's hard to know what impact it might have if they went further.

Finding new users for Xbox Game Pass is what has been driving Microsoft to expand with Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and devices like the Xbox Ally ... but it's pretty telling that they haven't shared any new Game Pass milestones since February 2024.

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Jez Corden
Jez Corden
Executive Editor

Jez Corden is the Executive Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow on Twitter (X) and tune in to the XB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!

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