Xbox Game Pass free game lineup confirms arrival of Call of Duty’s most underrated entry

Xbox Game Pass subscribers can soon play one of the most underrated Call of Duty games of recent years. If you’re a fan of military first-person shooters, this is one game you won’t want to miss.

Since its debut in 2003, Call of Duty has become one of the biggest video game franchises in the world, helping define the modern military first-person shooter. With blockbuster campaigns, competitive multiplayer and hugely popular spin-off modes, Activision’s series has set the benchmark that countless other shooters have tried to match.

Now, one of the more overlooked Call of Duty games is finally getting another chance to shine, with select Xbox Game Pass subscribers able to play it at no additional cost.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War comes to Xbox Game Pass

The underrated game coming to Xbox Game Pass is 2020’s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, primarily developed by Treyarch, the studio best known for the Black Ops series.

While Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War wasn't universally panned at launch, it failed to reach the critical heights of some of its predecessors. The game currently holds a 76 Metacritic score from critics, alongside a significantly lower 5.9 user score.

However, six years after its original release, now could be the perfect time to give Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War another chance, especially with the underrated military FPS coming to Xbox Game Pass.

READ MORE: The 15 best Call of Duty multiplayer maps of all time

Why does Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War deserve a second chance?

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer, Activision

As fans of the Black Ops series will know, one of its biggest strengths has always been its single-player campaign, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is no exception. The campaign delivers plenty of over-the-top action, intense combat, memorable locations and impressive visuals that still hold up remarkably well six years after launch.

Beyond the campaign, Black Ops Cold War also features robust multiplayer and Zombies modes, both of which have benefited from years of post-launch content and updates. That means players jumping in through Xbox Game Pass can experience a far more complete package than was available at launch, with plenty of content to get stuck into.

Looking back, one of the biggest reasons Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War may not have received the same level of praise as some of the series' other standout entries is simply the game it had to follow. Coming directly after 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, one of the most acclaimed and influential recent entries in the franchise, Black Ops Cold War was always going to have a tough act to follow.

When does Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War come to Xbox Game Pass?

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is coming to Xbox Game Pass on September 8, but it's currently only confirmed for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass. There's no indication yet that the game will be included with Game Pass Essential. That being said, there’s every chance that it will come to Essential at some point.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. As for the next game in the series, that will be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on October 23, 2026.