Microsoft's pricing for Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 on the Xbox and PC marketplaces has left PlayStation fans bracing for sticker shock. Both games are now listed at $39.99 each, without DLC included, according to recent marketplace updates.
The concern stems from an Activision announcement that these two classic Treyarch titles are coming to PS4 and PS5 as ports in July. Since official pricing for the PlayStation versions hasn't been disclosed, players are assuming the Microsoft Store numbers will mirror what they'll pay on Sony's platform.
If that happens, the math gets ugly fast. A player buying both games outright would spend $80. Add in both season passes, now priced at $30 each on the Microsoft Store, and the total climbs to $140 for the full package. The DLC pricing itself has changed: individual add-ons dropped from $15 to $10, while season passes fell from $50 to $30.
What's drawing particular ire from fans is the word Activision used: ports, not remasters. These are 13 and 15-year-old games with no significant enhancements coming to newer hardware. The company has confirmed the PS4 and PS5 versions will include Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombie modes, but offered no details on DLC handling or visual upgrades.
Online reactions have ranged from frustrated to sarcastic. One Reddit user called it "an absolute atrocity." Another remarked that the price tag suggests Activision is actively discouraging purchases. A third invoked a famous Black Ops 1 meme to mock the situation: "The numbers Mason, they're telling you not to buy..."
The backlash reflects a broader tension in gaming. Black Ops 1 arrived in November 2010 and earned an 8.5/10 from IGN. Its sequel launched in November 2012 to an even stronger 9.3/10 review. Both games have remained beloved fixtures in Call of Duty lore and are frequently quoted by fans. For many, replaying them on current-gen consoles holds genuine appeal, provided the price feels justified.
Activision has promised the ports will launch sometime in July, though no exact date has been set. The company appears to be banking on nostalgia and the popularity of these specific entries to justify the cost, even without upgrades. Whether PlayStation players will accept that bet depends largely on whether Activision sticks with the $40 price point they're already showing elsewhere.
Author Emily Chen: "Charging full retail for a straight port of a 13-year-old game is a bold move, and the internet has already made clear it's not one that lands well."
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