The company, publisher of the iconic Call of Duty franchise, has taken a drastic monetization step for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. To the shock of many players, the company added a second battle pass running concurrently with the traditional one.
This is done as part of Activision’s strategy to increase in-game spending. While the original battle pass is still purchasable, the “premium” battle pass sold newer, faster progression tracks with exclusive rewards. Both are available for the purchase of either or both options to unlock in-game items and cosmetics.
This has caused some mixed reactions from the community of Call of Duty games, as some praise the move by Activision to bring more options and faster ways to progress for those ready to spend, while others just see this as a scheme to extract more money out of the players, especially on those already invested in such a game.
Despite the controversy, Activision is optimistic about this new monetization scheme as it will work for the company. The more accessible premium rewards and the additional flexibility will attract a more substantial number of players who can then drive revenue growth.
This shift will characterize the changing video game monetization landscape. The continuous popularity of free-to-play games has pushed publishers into trying new ways of maximizing profits and maintaining customer retention. With the launch of the numerous battle passes in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, this marks a complete new direction that gamers have ever seen before; others can only watch how it shapes up with their innovations.
