Activision CEO doesn't "agree" with Xbox Game Pass-style services

Activision Blizzard's Bobby Kotick says that he "doesn't agree" with multi-game services like Xbox Game Pass, but accepts that he and Microsoft can "agree to disagree."

When taking the stand during Microsoft's trial with the FTC, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick echoed a similar sentiment to that of PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, saying he "doesn't agree" with multi-game services like Xbox Game Pass.

Bobby Kotick shares a similar opinion to Jim Ryan regarding Xbox Game Pass

activision ceo doesnt agree xbox game pass

As reported by IGN, Bobby Kotick's testimony during the ongoing court battle between Microsoft and the FTC revealed that the Activision CEO isn't a fan of multi-game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. He did acknowledge, however, that providing the deal gets approved, he'll need to accept that Activision Blizzard games will join the service.

According to Kotick, Activision games don't join subscription services like Xbox Game Pass because he "doesn't agree" with them. Seeing as Activision's games tend to do absolutely fine financially on their own, and this battle is mainly focused on the potential of Call of Duty becoming exclusive to Xbox and taking a huge amount of Sony's revenue with it, it comes as no surprise that Kotick doesn't feel like there is a viable business strategy for adding Activision games to a subscription service.

"I don’t agree with the idea of a multi-game subscription service as a business proposition going forwards," Kotick said. "But we [Activision and Microsoft] can agree to disagree."

Kotick's sentiment is similar to PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, who said that publishers he spoke to "unanimously" dislike Xbox Game Pass. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has also taken a shot at Sony during the trial, claiming the company uses Xbox game revenue to make exclusivity deals.

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Written by Tom West

Tom has been playing video games since he was old enough to hold a controller, experimenting with a number of systems until he eventually fell in love with Xbox. With a passion for the platform, he decided to make a career out of it, and now happily spends his days writing about that which he loves. If he’s not hunting for Xbox achievements, you’ll likely find him somewhere in The Elder Scrolls Online or fighting for survival in Battlefield.