Call of Duty has a strong reputation in the gaming industry, and it is even regarded as a benchmark for Esports. Several older Call of Duty games could compete with the newer games if they were updated to meet today's standards, and are still beloved by gamers. Therefore, we expect Microsoft to add these games first when the Call of Duty franchise comes to Xbox Game Pass.
Call of Duty Big Red One
The story of Big Red One is based on a real company (the Big Red One) during World War 2. Big Red One is widely considered one of the best Call of Duty games ever made. Activision pulled out all the stops to make the game as accurate as possible to compete with Medal of Honor, which was arguably a bigger name than Call of Duty at the time.
In addition to recording real gunfire with older weapons and getting first-hand accounts from soldiers who fought in the war, this Call of Duty is as accurate as possible. Although some could argue that the graphics detract from the realism of the invasion and defense of North Africa during D-Day, it still holds up in terms of FPS gameplay.
All Call of Duty Modern Warfare installments (remastered and old)
Activision no longer had a rival for its position as the king of first-person shooters after Modern Warfare 3—this was the day it became unstoppable. To be honest, it's hard to imagine Microsoft not including all three Modern Warfare games in Xbox Game Pass; it's too nostalgic. While everyone has their own opinion on which is better, the truth is that the moment Call of Duty came to the modern-day, things changed dramatically.
When the original Modern Warfare was released, it was rare for shooters to leave the World War 2 era. A player could finally play a war game that was current, and it felt more realistic because it was set in the current day. Each installment added high-tech items, an innovative ranking system, and a way to connect with others to make the harshest lobbies. They're trying to remaster the final Modern Warfare, so we can see them using this to help market it.
Related: Will CoD become Xbox exclusive?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
The Black Ops installments launched the careers of many Call of Duty pros, such as Seth 'Scump' Abner and Ian 'Crimsix' Porter. Although many players may have their own favorite Black Ops, Black Ops 2 series seemed to be the sweet spot for that generation because it added to the game and it was hard to find hate, like in the third or fourth installments. Although Microsoft is likely to add all of the games, if they had to pick one for multiplayer reasons, we'd bet on 2.
Black Ops 2 featured popular maps such as Frost, Standoff, and Nuketown 2025. This is the same time that, despite its challenges, the multiplayer scene was on the verge of becoming an Esport. We can't imagine Activision not keeping skill-based matchmaking, but there is always a chance it won't be here if this game enters Game Pass.
Related: How to play Void Objective in Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies
Every new Call of Duty
As with all Call of Duty games, Vanguard has its fair share of flaws that are difficult to deny (and hard to fix). Vanguard itself may not be better than the previous installments, but it is the newest. Microsoft wants you to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, and as a result, they will have Call of Duty: Vanguard in Game Pass.
Game Pass is the company's flagship service, and one of the best ways to get people to subscribe to it is to have the most popular and newest games available. The easiest way to get subscribers is to have every Call of Duty installment enter Game Pass on day one of release. The most likely scenario is that Activision will continue to advertise the newest Call of Duty every year, all throughout the year, on Game Pass.
For more information on Call of Duty, check out Where is Von List’s Office in Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies on Pro Game Guides.