Skip to main content

Xbox Game Pass is getting its first Call of Duty game

Xbox isn’t waiting until Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to get a Call of Duty game on Game Pass. The company announced Tuesday that 2023’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be added to the service on Wednesday, July 24.

The announcement was heavily rumored beforehand, with reports from outlets like Insider Gaming, but it was made official on Xbox Wire. Xbox confirmed that the game will be hitting Game Pass for Console, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Ultimate (so every old tier ahead of the upcoming price hike), and it will include most modes, including single-player and the more open-world Zombies mode. It doesn’t appear to include Warzone, the series’ battle royale spinoff, although that’s free to play.

Recommended Videos

Activision has been remaking the Modern Warfare trilogy over the past few years. It hit the ground running with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, a remake of Call of Duty 4: Modern WarfareModern Warfare 2 was similarly a hit.

Modern Warfare 3 didn’t receive great reviews from critics. We at Digital Trends said it might be “the series’ worst installment yet,” as it had nothing to say in its single-player campaign, as well as boring missions and no original 6v6 maps for its multiplayer. It doesn’t feature much that’s original at all in multiplayer, bringing back classic maps from the original Modern Warfare 2. However, there are modern tweaks, including the deeper weapon customization we’ve seen over the past few years.

Despite the flaws, this is a Call of Duty game, and while some sell better than others, they all draw millions of players. Modern Warfare 3, in particular, was the second bestselling game of the year behind Hogwarts Legacy. 

Since Microsoft finalized its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, fans have been waiting for those games to get added to Game Pass. While nothing has been finalized yet, rumors suggest that Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is coming soon.

Carli Velocci
Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…
33 Immortals is the most fun you can have with Xbox Game Pass this month
33 immortals early access impressions lucifer

If the past year has taught me anything, it’s that players are hungry for creative co-op games. Helldivers 2 emerged as one of 2024’s biggest hits thanks to its creative squad play, Monster Hunter Wilds is enormous right now, and Split Fiction is already being hailed as a game of the year frontrunner. There’s a definite hunger right now for games that let people play together in something other than a straight shooter.

So, 33 Immortals couldn’t be dropping into early access at a better moment. The latest game from Spiritfarer developer Thunder Lotus is a top-down action roguelike with a big twist: 33 players work together at once to vanquish monsters. That might sound like a recipe for complete chaos at a glance, but it’s not. Thunder Lotus has its ambitious concept under control thanks to a bevy of ingenious co-op ideas that make players feel like they’re part of an army rather than a lone wolf in a sea of them.

Read more
3 Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (March 14-16)
Assassin's Creed Odyssey review

Game Pass serves many functions as a service. Some use it to play the best Xbox Series X games on release, others lean on it between games, and everything in between. One of our favorite ways to take advantage of the massive Game Pass catalog is in preparation for upcoming Xbox Series X games. Whether it be playing previous games in a series to get caught up, or games in a similar genre to get in the mood, Game Pass has what you're looking for. We have our eye on Assassin's Creed Shadows next week just like you, but what about this weekend? Here are the best Xbox Game Pass games to boot up over the break.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Launch Trailer | Ubisoft [NA]

All the best Assassin's Creed games are on Game Pass, but we feel Odyssey is the best of them since transitioning into RPGs. Historically, this is the earliest game in the timeline, though that doesn't matter much since there are only loose threads connecting the games at this point. What does matter is how vast and enjoyable a world this is to explore. It isn't quite as bloated as Valhalla and will get you back into the groove of parkouring, stealthing, and fighting all over again. The story here is also one of the best in the series if you have the time to go all the way with it. But even just dabbling in it so you don't get burned out before Shadows is a great way to prepare yourself.

Read more
3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (March 7-9)
The map screen in Monster Train.

We've hit that one unfortunate weekend of the year when we need to set our clocks forward an hour, thus robbing us of one precious hour of free time to play the best Xbox Series X games. The big game of the month, Assassin's Creed Shadows, is still a few weeks away, so there's plenty of time to see what the best games on Game Pass are right now. We found a great selection of brand-new additions to help you spend less time thinking about what to play and more time gaming on this slightly shorter weekend. These are the best new Xbox Game Pass games available right now.

While this month is a little light on new releases, there are still plenty of upcoming Xbox Series X games to be excited about.
Monster Train
Monster Train Release Trailer

Read more