“Game On” is The Fly's weekly roundup of the news that's making video game stocks rise or fall.
New Release: The most notable new release this week is Warner Bros. Discovery'sworld map) “MultiVersus” is a free-to-play platform fighting game featuring characters from a number of Warner Bros.-owned franchises, including Bugs Bunny and Batman. The game, which was available in early access and open beta from July 2022 to June 2023, will be released on PC, PlayStation 4 (Sony), PS5, Xbox One (MSFT), Xbox Series X/S will also be released this week. Also, Electronic Arts' (EA) The racing sim “F1 24” will be released on May 31st for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
New Call of Duty confirmed: Last week, Microsoft's Activision division confirmed that the next title in the best-selling “Call of Duty” series will be “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.” The game will be the first new installment in the long-running franchise since Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in early 2024.
Microsoft announced Tuesday that “Black Ops 6” will be available on its Game Pass subscription service on launch day. The company added that it will host a special Xbox Games Showcase on June 9, followed by a “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” Direct, to reveal more about the new “Call of Duty” game. As of this writing, “Diablo IV” is the only notable Activision Blizzard game released on Game Pass since the deal was struck, according to The Fly.
The news follows a report from The Verge earlier this month that said Microsoft was internally considering whether to put new Call of Duty titles on Game Pass following multiple studio closures and various other strategic changes. The discussions have been going on for some time within the Xbox division, with concerns that including Call of Duty on Game Pass would limit some of the revenue the hit title brings in for Activision Blizzard each year, The Verge's Tom Warren said, noting that Microsoft was also considering raising the price of Game Pass Ultimate again.
Meanwhile, Circana analyst Matt Piscatella said on X (formerly Twitter) that his “best guess” for Call of Duty Game Pass activity is that the release could lead to a “modest” increase in subscriptions in the fourth quarter, but “it won't materially change purchasing patterns on other platforms and it could sell a few extra Xbox Series consoles, but not enough to materially change trends.” The analyst added that if the release of Black Ops 6 is accompanied by a Game Pass price increase, the subscription increase could be “at least partially offset.”
New Nintendo Store: Nintendo of America (NTDOYNintendo has announced plans to open an official Nintendo store in San Francisco's Union Square, offering a wide range of visitors from near and far the opportunity to experience the world of Nintendo, its products and characters. The store, called Nintendo SAN FRANCISCO, is scheduled to open in 2025 and will be the second official Nintendo store in the United States, joining a store in New York City.
