Xbox fans are compiling lists of all the Activision, Bethesda, and Microsoft games still missing from Xbox Game Pass — and it's pretty huge

Activision banner with missing on it.

Microsoft closed its deal for Activision-Blizzard a couple of years ago, and Xbox Game Pass users have reaped many benefits since.

Call of Duty is now officially part of the Xbox Game Pass line-up, fulfilling promises Microsoft made to both fans and regulators as an example of its pro-consumer commitment to the merger. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $19.99 per month, and nets you day one access to all new Activision, Bethesda, and Xbox Games Studios titles. However, some fans aren't satisfied.

Why? Microsoft previously implied that the plan was to bring all Activision-Blizzard titles to Xbox Game Pass — depending on how you interpret the comments. Either way, they were ambiguous enough to have set lots of expectations about the potential here, and so far, we've only really had a drip feed of content here and there, rather than a full flood.

So, what games are missing, what exactly did Xbox say about it, and why has it been so slow? Let's analyse what we know.

What did Microsoft say about Activision games coming to Game Pass?

Microsoft's merger with Activision-Blizzard-King has brought many benefits to Xbox Game Pass users, but many are wondering why it hasn't gone further. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)

Microsoft itself raised expectations around Activision titles coming to Xbox Game Pass. In a 2022 blog post penned by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, the firm positioned the Activision-Blizzard-King acquisition as one that would improve access to Activision's rather pricey back catalog, citing games like Diablo, Call of Duty, and Overwatch.

"Subscription services like Game Pass make gaming more affordable and help players from all over the world find their next favorite game. Game Pass empowers developers to bring more games to more players, not fewer. We intend to make Activision Blizzard’s much-loved library of games – including Overwatch, Diablo and Call of Duty – available in Game Pass and to grow those gaming communities."

Microsoft reiterated this commitment in a 2024 blog post when it dropped Diablo IV into Game Pass, stating, "There will be even more to play as we begin to fulfill our commitment to offer Activision and Blizzard games with Game Pass, both new releases and classic games from its legendary catalog. We’re excited to bring more of the biggest games to our 34M XGP subscribers."

Since then, Microsoft has added a decent offering of titles from Activision and Blizzard. We have the classic Warcraft and StarCraft games, Diablo III and IV, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Tony Hawk titles. There's also four Call of Duty titles in the service, and perks for free-to-play titles like Overwatch 2, CoD: Warzone, and Heroes of the Storm. The acquisition also solved long-standing publishing issues for titles like Hexen, freeing them up to finally get ports to modern platforms.

But, the offering truly pales in comparison to Activision's full back catalog, as you can see below.

The list of missing Microsoft-owned games is extensive

As compiled by X user Crusader3456, the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet is incredibly large, and yet still isn't truly exhaustive. Activision's extensive back catalog runs all the way back to the 80s, and many of those retro titles have been making their way across to cloud-based platform Antstream Arcade, included free via Xbox Game Pass as part of an app called Xbox Retro Classics. This list mainly covers Xbox 360 games and up.

The list also includes some titles from Bethesda and Microsoft itself that never made their way across, although many are still being compiled. If there's a game you're particularly interested in seeing make the list, hit the comments.

Show Full Table ↴

List of Microsoft-owned IP not on Xbox Game Pass

Title	Developer	Publisher
[PROTOTYPE]	Radical Entertainment	Activision
[PROTOTYPE2]	Radical Entertainment	Activision
007: Blood Stone	Bizarre Creations + High Moon Studios	Activision
007: Legends	Eurocom	Activision
007: Quantum of Solace	Treyarch + Nerve Software + Beenox	Activision
Aces of the Galaxy	Artech Studios	Sierra Online
Apache: Air Assault	Gaijin Entertainment	Activision
Arkadian Warriors	Wanako Games	Vivendi Games
Assault Heroes 2	Wanako Games	Sierra Online
Bakugan: Defenders of the Core	Now Production	Activision
Band Hero	Neversoft	Activision
Battlestar Galactica	Warthog Games	Universal Interactive
Bee Movie Game	Beenox	Activision
Blade II	Mucky foot Productions	Activision
Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space	Artoon	Microsoft Game Studios
Blood Drive	Sidhe	Activision
Blood Wake	Stormfront Studios	Microsoft Game Studios
Blur	Bizarre Creations	Activision
Brink	Splash Damage	Bethesda Softworks
Brute Force	Digital Anvil	Microsoft Game Studios
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds	Eurocom	Vivendi Universal Games
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth	Headfirst Productions	Bethesda Softworks
Call of Duty (Classic)	Infinity Ward + Aspyr	Activision
Call of Duty 2	Infinity Ward	Activision
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One	Treyarch	Activision
Call of Duty 3	Treyarch	Activision
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)	Infinity Ward	Activision
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare	Sledgehammer Games	Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops	Treyarch	Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4	Treyarch	Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War	Treyarch	Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops II	Treyarch	Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops III	Treyarch	Activision
Call of Duty: Finest Hour	Spark Unlimited	Activision
Call of Duty: Ghosts	Infinity Ward	Activision
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare	Infinity Ward	Activision
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Remastered	Raven Software	Activision
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)	Infinity Ward	Activision
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Campaign Remastered	Beenox	Activision
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)	Infinity Ward	Activision
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)	Infinity Ward	Activision
Call of Duty: United Offensive	Gray Matter Studios	Activision
Call of Duty: Vanguard	Sledgehammer Games	Activision
Call of Duty: World at War	Treyarch	Activision
Carcassonne	Siera Online	Sierra Entertainment
Commanders: Attack of the Genos	Southend Interactive	Sierra Online
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex	Traveller's Tales	Universal Interactive
Crash Nitro Kart	Vicarious Visions	Universal Interactive
Crash of the Titans	Radical Entertainment	Sierra Entertainment
Crash Twinsanity	Traveller's Tales	Vivendi Universal Games
Crash: Mind over Mutant	Radical Entertainment	Activision
Deadpool	High Moon Studios	Activision
DJ Hero	Freestyle Games	Activision
DJ Hero 2	Freestyle Games	Activision
Doom (2016)	id Software	Bethesda Softworks
Elder Scrolls Online	Zenimax Online Software	Bethesda Softworks
Empires: Dawn of the Modern World	Stainless Stell Studios	Activision
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars	Splash Damage	Activision
Eragon	Stormfront Studios	Sierra Entertainment
F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon	Monolith Productions	Vivendi Universal Games
Fantastic Four (2005)	7 Studios + Beenox	Activision
Fast & Furious: Showdown	Firebrand Games	Activision
Freelancer	Digital Anvil	Microsoft Game Studios
Ghostbusters (2016)	FireForge	Activision
GoldenEye 007: Reloaded	Eurocom	Activision
Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball MAX'D	The Whole Experience	Activision
Guitar Hero II	Harmonix	Activision
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock	Neversoft	Activision
Guitar Hero Live	Freestyle Games	Activision
Guitar Hero Smash Hits	Beenox	Activision
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith	Neversoft	Activision
Guitar Hero: Metallica	Neversoft	Activision
Guitar Hero: Van Halen	Underground Development	Activision
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock	Neversoft	Activision
Guitar Hero: World Tour	Neversoft	Activision
Gun	SuperVillain Studios + Nversoft + Shaba Games	Activision
History Civil War: Secret Missions	Cauldron HQ	Activision
How to Train Your Dragon	Étranges Libellules	Activision
Hulk (2003)	Radical Entertainment	Universal Interactive
Hunted: The Demon's Forge	inXile Entertainment	Bethesda Softworks
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs	Eurocom	Activision
James Cameron's Dark Angel	Radical Entertainment	Sierra Entertainment
Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis	Blue Tongue Entertainment	Universal Interactive
Jurassic: The Hunted	Cauldron HQ	Activision
Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal	Dream Publishing	Microsoft Game Studios
Kung Fu Chaos	Ninja Theory	Microsoft Game Studios
Kung Fu Panda	Luxoflux + Beenox	Activision
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Event	Adrenium Games	Activision
Lost Cities	Siera Online	Sierra Online
Madagascar	Toys for Bob + Beenox	Activision
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa	Toys for Bob + Aspyr	Activision
Madagascar: Kartz	Sidhe	Activision
Marvel Ultimate Alliance	Raven Software	Activision
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2	Vicarious Visions + Zoe Mode	Activision
MechAssault	Day 1 Studios	Microsoft Game Studios
MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf	Day 1 Studios	Microsoft Game Studios
Metal Arms: Glitch in the System	Swingin' Ape Studios	Sierra Entertainment
MIB: Alien Crisis	Fun Labs	Activision
Monsters vs. Aliens	Beenox	Activision
N3: Ninety-Nine Nights	Phantagram + Q Entertainment	Microsoft Game Studios
Over the Hedge	Edge of Reality + Beenox	Activision
Phantom Dust	Microsoft Game Studios Japan	Microsoft Game Studios
Pitfall: The Lost Expedition	Edge of Reality + Beenox	Activision
Project Gotham Racing	Bizarre Creations	Microsoft Game Studios
Project Gotham Racing 2	Bizarre Creations	Microsoft Game Studios
Project Gotham Racing 3	Bizarre Creations	Microsoft Game Studios
Project Gotham Racing 4	bizarre Creations	Microsoft Game Studios
Quake 4	Raven Software	Activision
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends	Big Huge Games	Microsoft Game Studios
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy	High Moon Studios	Vivendi Games
Scarface: The World Is Yours	Radical Entertainment	Vivendi Universal Games
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice	FromSoftware	Activision
Shark Tale	Edge of Reality + KnowWonder	Activision
Shrek 2	Luxoflux + KnowWonder	Activision
Shrek Super Slam	Shaba Games	Activision
Shrek the Third	Amaze Entertainment	Activision
Singularity	Raven Software	Activision
Skylanders: Giants	Toys for Bob	Activision
Skylanders: Imaginators	Toys for Bob + Beenox	Activision
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure	Toys for Bob	Activision
Skylanders: SuperChargers	Toys for Bob + Beenox	Activision
Skylanders: Swap Force	Toys for Bob	Activision
Skylanders: Trap Team	Toys for Bob + Beenox	Activision
Soldier of Fortune	Raven Software	Activision
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix	Raven Software	Activision
Soldier of Fortune: Payback	Cauldron HQ	Activision
Spider-Man (2002)	Treyarch	Activision
Spider-Man 2 (2004)	Treyarch	Activision
Spider-Man 3 (2007)	Treyarch + Beenox	Activision
Spider-Man: Edge of Time	Beenox	Activision
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe	Next Level Games	Activision
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions	Beenox	Activision
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows	Treyarch + Shaba Games + Aspyr	Activision
SpongeBob HeroPants	Behaviour Santiago	Activision
SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge	Behavior Entertainment	Activision
Spyro: A Hero's Tail	Eurocom	Vivendi Universal Games
SWAT: Global Strike Team	Argonaut Games	Vivendi Universal Games
Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus	Studio Gigante	Microsoft Game Studios
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze	WayForward Technologies	Activision
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan	Platinum Games	Activision
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows	Red Fly Studio	Activision
Tenchu Z	K2 + FromSoftware	Microsoft Game Studios
Tenchu: Return from Darkness	K2 + Prosoft	Activision
The Amazing Spider-Man	Beenox	Activision
The Amazing Spider-Man 2	Beenox	Activision
The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific	Cauldron HQ	Activision
The History Channel: Civil War – A Nation Divided	Cauldron HQ	Activision
The Hobbit (2003)	Inevitable Entertainment	Sierra Entertainment
The Legend of Korra	Platinum Games	Activision
The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning	Krome Studios	Sierra Entertainment
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring	WXP + Surreal Software	Black Label Games
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring	Liquid Entertainment	Vivendi Universal Games
The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure	Behaviour Santiago	Activision
The Simpsons: Hit & Run	Radical Entertainment	Vivendi Universal Games
The Spiderwick Chronicles	Stormfront Studios	Sierra Entertainment
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct	Terminal Reality	Activision
TimeShift	SaberInteractive	Sierra Entertainment
Tony Hawk: Ride	Robomodo	Activision
Tony Hawk: Shred	Robomodo	Activision
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland	Neversoft	Activision
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2	Vicarious Visions	Activision
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5	Robomodo	Activision
Tony Hawk's Project 8	Neversoft	Activision
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground	Neversoft	Activision
Tony Hawk's Underground	Neversoft	Activision
Tony Hawk's Underground 2	Neversoft	Activision
Transformers: Dark of the Moon	High Moon Studios	Activision
Transformers: Devastation	Platinum Games	Activision
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron	High Moon Studios	Activision
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	Luxoflux	Activision
Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark	Edge of Reality	Activision
Transformers: The Game	Traveller's Tales	Activision
Transformers: War for Cybertron	High Moon Studios	Activision
True Crime: New York City	Luxoflux	Activision
True Crime: Streets of LA	Luxoflux	Activision
Ultimate Spider-Man	Treyarch	Activision
Wet	Artifical Mind and Movement	Bethesda Softworks
White Night	OSome Studio	Activision
Wipeout 3 (2012)	Behavior Entertainment	Activision
Wolfenstein (2009)	Raven Software	Activision
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory	Splash Damage	Activision
X-Men Legends	Raven Software	Activision
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse	Raven Software	Activision
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Uncaged Edition	Raven Software	Activision
X-Men: Destiny	Silicon Knights	Activision
X-Men: Next Dimension	Paradox Development	Activision
X-Men: The Official Game	Z- Axiz + Beenox	Activision
Zombie Wranglers	Frozen Coebase	Sierra Online
Zoo Tycoon (2001)	Blue Fang Games	Microsoft Game Studios
Zoo Tycoon 2	Blue Fang Games	Microsoft Game Studios
James Bond 007: Blood Stone	Bizarre Creations	Activision

Hit the link above to expand to the full table, or head here for a deeper breakdown on Google Sheets. Many aren't on there likely due to licensing issues around Xbox backwards compatibility. Microsoft previously noted that it had exhausted all of its legal options for certain games, owing to a plurality of legal issues stemming from expired sound effects licenses to rights holders being uncontactable.

But ... there are also plenty on the list that are available on Xbox backwards compatibility, circumventing licensing issues, that are also unavailable on Xbox Game Pass.

Microsoft said it wanted to put Activision's "much loved library of games" onto Xbox Game Pass, so why hasn't it happened yet?

So ... why aren't they there yet?

Game Pass is under constant scrutiny. (Image credit: Windows Central | Jez Corden)

Just this past weekend, former Bethesda exec Pete Hines attacked Xbox Game Pass, drawing attention to its retail sales cannibalization. Other game industry alumni chimed in, including former PlayStation exec Shawn Layden and Xbox veteran Shannon Loftis, essentially calling attention to the idea that Xbox Game Pass results in less investment for first-party developers who are forced by Microsoft to participate in the program.

Microsoft sources previously told me that Xbox Game Pass accounts for sales cannibalization using an equation and then charges the business back to studios, although it does seem as though there is a very delicate balancing act Microsoft is running up against to make Xbox Game Pass work.

For example, Microsoft moved the "day one games" promise from the cheaper $12.99 tier into the highest $19.99 Xbox Game Pass tier last year, ahead of Call of Duty's inclusion. Call of Duty is a very, very expensive game to make and maintain, and any disruption to the business model therein could threaten the entire franchise — particularly as Battlefield 6 looks increasingly hot this year. That's probably why we haven't seen World of Warcraft or Elder Scrolls Online hit Xbox Game Pass, given that both (more so WoW than ESO), rely on in-game subscription services to power their business models.

Speaking of Call of Duty, Microsoft is probably cognizant of the fact that many Call of Duty players would probably migrate to classic Call of Duty titles if they were more broadly available. The older CoD games do not monetize as strongly as the newer ones, owing to fewer skins and things like that. Ironically, Activision's insistence on goofy skins has led to a huge backlash against the game, forcing them to quite literally publicly commit to keeping things more grounded in the future.

[PROTOTYPE] and the Activision Xbox 360 Transformers titles are two games I often get asked about with regards to Xbox Game Pass and backward compatibility. (Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Other older games not showing up, such as MechAssault, are simply the result of complex and outdated legal agreements between rights holders. Microsoft owns the full rights to license video games based on the BattleTech / MechAssault / MechWarrior tabletop universe, but it doesn't own the full rights to the franchises wholesale, making re-publishing older entries a little legally murky. Microsoft errs on the side of caution with regards to things like this, given that it's often such a huge target for opportunistic litigators.

But, more broadly, the real reason Microsoft hasn't simply flooded Xbox Game Pass with Activision's back catalog is, again, likely due to cannibalization. If Microsoft aggressively dumped 30+ old Activision titles into Xbox Game Pass, it threatens the engagement bonuses third-party developers in the program get to enjoy. Keeping third-party developers happy, particularly indies who use Xbox Game Pass royalties as part of their business models, is a delicate balancing act. It perhaps wouldn't be as much of an issue if Xbox Game Pass was seeing significant growth, but there's no evidence that it is right now.

Indeed, given that Xbox Game Pass isn't really growing (particularly so on console), Microsoft has to be pretty careful how it manages what games are available. It could be argued that they're potentially being too conservative, and that adding more nostalgic games like the original Xbox 360 back compat Call of Duty games could drive more interest in the Xbox platform all up — but it's hard to know what impact it might have if they went further.

Finding new users for Xbox Game Pass is what has been driving Microsoft to expand with Xbox PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and devices like the Xbox Ally ... but it's pretty telling that they haven't shared any new Game Pass milestones since February 2024.