Seven Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass Today (March 31)

Shame to see the last 3rd-party BC game leaving GP. The BC program will be missed, especially if they're not adding older Activision games after the deal's done.

@UnusedBabyWipes Part of the reason Activision games may NOT be available is down to Licensing issues (Spider-Man, Transformers, James Bond etc) so I doubt these in particular will come to BC.

As for the others, it may have been A/B's decision too as they own the Publishing Rights etc. They may feel that 'old' games impact the sales of 'new' games and would rather you bought a 'new' CoD than played 360 era CoD games you bought 'years' ago.

As soon as MS acquire A/B, they not only acquire the Studio's and IP's, they also acquire all Publishing Rights too so unless they have 3rd Party Licences (inc Music for example) which maybe 'difficult' to renew/extend, MS has the authority and don't forget, they also have the developers to access the game code so maybe can do 'something' to bring those games to BC.

Time will tell of course...

@BAMozzy I would never leave my Xbox again if Activision paid both Marvel/Disney & Hasbro for one time licensing fees for a Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 & 2 Collection and a collection for the Transformers Cybertron Trilogy. Even if they weren't on Game Pass, they'd bring tears to my eyes.

For some reason I thought the Double Dragon Neon devs were under Microsoft and that it wouldn't leave. I'd have to imagine Battle for the Grid's online playerbase, if it even still has one, will take a big hit from this. I want to own the game regardless, but struggle to justify buying the edition w/ all the DLC even for 20 bucks.

@shoeses The Cybertron Trilogy should be preserved and playable but that's the issue with Third Party IP's and why you won't (or at least shouldn't expect ANY to) come to BC. Can you imagine Xbox having the Activision Spider-Man games on Back Compat and the way Sony and their Fanboys would react...

I still think that MS will organise a 'Single' Studio to be 'the' CoD Studio - whether that's an existing Studio (IW, Raven - I think Raven myself due to them basically doing most of the 'online' CoD content now) or creating a 'new' studio from those 'CoD' studios - so some staff 'moving', and then the rest will be 'freed' to make any 'new' game they want - either from their 'growing' IP's or something 'new' to have their own 'creative freedom' after being on the CoD grind for years. They are 'contracted' to at least 2024 on CoD with Sony's deal that MS will honour so its really what happens after...

They could just do a CoD: Online release - with an 'archive' mode that cycles through Different CoD games from history - all the maps, weapons, etc for Modern Warfare 2 one month then W@W the next, Have a 'bot/training' area for 'newcomers' and any who maybe want to 'practice', try out different weapons etc, and maybe a Co-op mode with Co-op/squad based modes and just keep that going 'indefinitely'. You have so many CoDs to update maps and bring them in until you have EVERY Map playable in CoD, can rotate 'Seasonally' between Eras - no-one has to 'start' again with the 'new' game, lose everything they had in the previous game, ranks, stats, unique skins etc can carry over and it can just 'grow' and grow..

Meanwhile, the rest are making 'new' games on Xbox...

Would be cool to see something creative and/or inspired by the Cybertron Trilogy but as with anything, we will just have to wait and see as I doubt those Licences will become 'available' to resurrect 'old' games just for those that bought them can play and/or maybe wouldn't be 'financially' worth the cost to license vs the money they'd get back - not a 'worthwhile' investment - unless they can arrange 'new' games being made and the license to make these.

I think MS is more interested in building up their own IP's - Sony can call upon their TV/Movie IP's too and can use that to help build those IP's beyond gaming too so they can become 'household' names. MS needs IPs so I doubt they'd be Licensing unless it benefits their 'products' too - like Forza Cars or MSFS Planes. I think you'll more likely get something like Cybertron (mechs maybe) that is a 'Spiritual' successor in many ways than a new Transformers game - but we'll see

they need to add new games 😢