Subscription services might be taking over the gaming world, but not everyone’s buying into the hype — especially not Take-Two Interactive. During a recent investor call, CEO Strauss Zelnick shared his thoughts on Xbox’s latest power move: bringing Call of Duty to Game Pass.
While the move sounds like a big win for players, Zelnick isn’t convinced it’s a smart long-term play. Sure, adding a massive franchise like Call of Duty could give Game Pass a quick subscriber boost, but according to him, the spike probably won’t last.
“Players tend to show up for one big game and then cancel a month later,” he said. “That’s not exactly a sustainable business.”
Zelnick also pointed out the other side of the equation — putting huge AAA games on subscription services day one can actually hurt sales. If millions of players can access the game for a small monthly fee, what happens to the traditional revenue model that’s built on $70 (or maybe even $100) releases? It’s a fair question, and one that Take-Two seems to have a pretty firm answer to.
In other words: don’t expect GTA 6 to drop on Game Pass anytime soon. Zelnick made it crystal clear that Rockstar’s next big thing will stick to a classic, full-price release model — no subscription shortcuts, no bundled surprises.
“For a game of this scale, the traditional approach still makes the most sense,” he said.
It’s a stance that might sound old-school in 2025, but honestly, it tracks. Grand Theft Auto isn’t just another franchise — it’s an event. Every release reshapes the industry, and Take-Two isn’t about to gamble that kind of cultural moment on a subscription service that lives or dies by monthly engagement numbers.
So yeah, while Microsoft is betting big on Game Pass and the “Netflix for games” future, Take-Two’s keeping its cards close — and its next billion-dollar blockbuster far, far away from the subscription shelf.
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