Why Black Ops 6’s Squid Game Event Pass is Stirring Controversy

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a game that straddles two worlds. On one hand, it offers a seriously toned single-player campaign, and on the other, a multiplayer scene that thrives on chaos and quirkiness, brimming with elaborate cosmetics, microtransactions, and various crossover events. Over the years, Call of Duty has leaned into the more playful side of its multiplayer offerings, but with recent titles like Black Ops 6, it seems the franchise is really going all out, which hasn’t sat well with some of its veteran fans. The latest releases are packed with a mix of everything you can imagine, whether it’s King Kong, Homelander, Donnie Darko, or even Snoop Dogg making an appearance.

Earlier this month, Black Ops 6, along with the free-to-play battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone, launched its newest crossover event featuring tie-ins with the wildly popular Netflix series, Squid Game. This collaboration was first hinted at by Activision last year as a way to celebrate the upcoming new season of Squid Game. Even though the event is loaded with exclusive content, it has faced criticism regarding its monetization tactics, and it runs until January 24.

The Squid Game crossover includes a free battle pass—or Event Pass—through which players can earn new skins, emblems, calling cards, stickers, and other unique items. While this content will be available for a limited time, it disappears when the event concludes, pushing players to grind through the content out of the fear of missing out—a tactic that’s becoming increasingly common in Call of Duty and other live-service games.

What sets this Squid Game event apart, however, is the introduction of not one but two battle passes: one free and one paid. This premium battle pass, locked behind a cost of 1,100 CoD Points (about $10), offers exclusive items such as the Front Man operator bundle, which can’t be obtained anywhere else. While premium passes have been part of Call of Duty’s history, this is a first for a collaboration like this.

The reception from the Call of Duty community has been less than enthusiastic. Both Black Ops 6 and Warzone have been under fire for their heavy-handed use of microtransactions and expensive add-ons, making this new monetization strategy unpopular. This frustration is compounded by the fact that Black Ops 6 is a full-priced game at $70, as opposed to free-to-play titles like Destiny 2 or Fortnite. Many feel that players should be offered perks or discounts on these premium items, especially if they’ve already invested in expensive editions or DLCs, but no such allowances have been made.

Despite facing these controversies, Black Ops 6 continues to sell well and maintains a solid player base. However, repeated decisions leaning heavily on monetization paint a negative picture for a game otherwise celebrated for its engaging gameplay. Although the backlash is unlikely to deter Activision from such strategies, it certainly raises awareness among players to approach these microtransactions with caution.

Black Ops 6 is set against a dramatic backdrop of global shift in the early ’90s, capturing the essence of a world closing one chapter and opening another. Developed by Treyarch and Raven, it delivers a spy action thriller with a riveting narrative. Players get to engage in classic multiplayer battles across 16 new maps, while the popular Zombies mode makes a grand return. As developers continue to push boundaries post-launch with new modes and collaborative ventures, the Call of Duty community watches eagerly but cautiously, aware of the evolving landscape of gaming and in-game spending.