Call of Duty: WW2 has experienced an impressive resurgence since its addition to Xbox Game Pass. The eight-year-old title was added to Microsoft’s subscription service on July 30 and has already climbed into the platform’s top 10 most-played games, proving the enduring appeal of classic entries in the franchise.
Player Count Surges Over 1,000%
According to data from TrueAchievements, Call of Duty: WW2 saw its player count on Xbox increase by more than 1,000% following its Game Pass debut. Prior to its inclusion, the game ranked a distant 163rd in popularity on the platform. As of now, it sits firmly at ninth place, rubbing shoulders with newer titles like the recently launched Black Ops 6.
This dramatic jump underscores the appetite among Xbox players for older Call of Duty games with fully functional multiplayer modes. While the console community enjoys this revival, PC players are still contending with rampant hacking issues. There are reports, however, that Activision may soon take action to address these problems, which could pave the way for a similar uptick in PC activity if resolved.
Scrapped Battle Royale Mode Revealed
Alongside its renewed popularity, fans have been revisiting interesting behind-the-scenes details about Call of Duty: WW2. Recently leaked footage revealed that Sledgehammer Games once had plans to include a battle royale mode in WW2, long before the franchise ventured into the genre with Black Ops 4’s Blackout and, eventually, Warzone. The mode was reportedly scrapped during development for undisclosed reasons, leaving the concept to be explored in later installments.
What This Means for Game Pass and the Future
Call of Duty: WW2’s success on Game Pass could encourage Microsoft to bring more legacy titles from the franchise to the service. With Activision now under Microsoft’s ownership and recent Call of Duty games consistently performing well among subscribers, the addition of more fan-favorite entries seems likely.
For Xbox players, this is an encouraging sign that the service will continue to offer a mix of both new releases and beloved classics, particularly for FPS fans eager to revisit or discover older Call of Duty experiences.
Ongoing PC Security Concerns
While Xbox players enjoy a stable and secure experience with Call of Duty: WW2, the PC version remains plagued by widespread hacking issues. Beyond the usual cheating tools like aim-bots and wall-hacks, security researchers and players have reported serious vulnerabilities in older Call of Duty titles that could allow attackers to execute malicious code remotely simply by connecting to a multiplayer lobby.
Although these exploits have been public knowledge for some time, they remain unpatched as of now, discouraging many PC players from revisiting the game. With the renewed interest in WW2 on console, there is cautious optimism that Activision will prioritize fixing these security flaws on PC. If addressed, the title could see a comparable spike in popularity among the PC community.
In the coming weeks, it will be worth watching to see which other Call of Duty titles join the Game Pass lineup and whether the PC version of WW2 can overcome its current challenges to mirror the console’s resurgence.
