Let's be real for a second. If you just bought a PS5 and you’re looking at that PlayStation Plus Call of Duty situation, it feels like navigating a minefield of fine print and corporate handshakes. You see the logo. You see the subscription price. But then you realize that "having" the game and actually being allowed to "play" the game are two very different things in Sony’s ecosystem. It’s confusing. Honestly, it’s annoying.
For years, the relationship between Activision’s juggernaut shooter and Sony’s subscription service was the gold standard of industry partnerships. We’re talking about early map access, exclusive combat packs, and those "Sony-first" beta weekends that made Xbox players lose their minds on Reddit. But the landscape has shifted. Since Microsoft officially closed the deal to buy Activision Blizzard, the vibes have changed.
If you're hunting for a straightforward answer on whether your subscription covers your CoD addiction, the answer is a very loud "maybe."
Why PlayStation Plus Call of Duty Isn't Always Free
Most people jump into the PS Store thinking that a PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium sub is going to give them the latest Call of Duty title for free, just like Game Pass does on the other side of the fence. It doesn't. Not exactly.
Sony’s strategy has always been different from Microsoft’s. While Xbox puts their biggest hits on the service the day they launch, Sony tends to keep Call of Duty behind a retail paywall for a long time. You might see an older title like Black Ops 4 or the Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered pop up in the Monthly Games (the ones you claim and keep as long as you have a sub), but don't expect the brand-new release to just sit there in the catalog.
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It’s about the money. Obviously. Call of Duty is a cash cow that sells millions of copies at $70 a pop. Why would Sony give that away if they don't have to?
The real value of PlayStation Plus Call of Duty access actually lies in the multiplayer requirement. You can buy the disc. You can download the digital version. But if you want to hop into a Team Deathmatch in Modern Warfare III or Black Ops 6, you literally cannot do it without at least a PlayStation Plus Essential membership. That’s the "tax" of console gaming. The only exception to this rule is Warzone. Because Warzone is free-to-play, Sony (and Microsoft) doesn't require a paid subscription to play it online. You can just download it and go.
The Exclusive Perks Nobody Mentions
Even with the Microsoft buyout, Sony still has some lingering deals in place. This is where the "Combat Packs" come in. If you have any tier of PS Plus, you get these bundles for free every season. Usually, it’s a skin for an Operator, a weapon blueprint that looks kind of cool but you’ll probably replace in ten minutes, and some double XP tokens.
It sounds small. But if you’re a "grinder," those double XP tokens are life.
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There’s also the "Party Bonus." If you’re playing on PlayStation and you party up with other PlayStation players, you get a +25% weapon XP boost. This is a subtle way Sony keeps the community tethered to their platform. It’s not a game-changer for the casual player who hops on for an hour on Fridays, but for the person trying to max out every camo, it’s a massive incentive to stay on the blue team.
Dealing With the "Locked" License Error
Here is something that happens way too often. You have PlayStation Plus Call of Duty perks, you bought the game, and suddenly—boom—the console tells you that you don't own the license. This usually happens during a "Free Access" weekend.
What's happening is that the PSN Store gets confused between the "Free Trial" license and your "Paid" license. To fix this, you usually have to go into your settings, hit "Users and Accounts," then "Other," and select "Restore Licenses." It takes about two minutes, but it’s one of those things that makes you want to throw the controller at the wall when you just want to play a quick round of Search and Destroy.
The Future of CoD on PlayStation
Is it going away? No. Microsoft signed a ten-year deal to keep the franchise on PlayStation.
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The real question is how the "value proposition" changes. On Xbox, the game is "free" with a $17/month subscription. On PlayStation, you’re still paying $70 for the game plus at least $80/year for the subscription to play it online. That’s a huge price gap. We might see Sony try to bundle more "points" or "battle pass skips" into the Premium tier of PS Plus to compensate, but right now, they’re leaning on the fact that the PlayStation player base is just... massive.
How to Maximize Your Value
If you are strictly a Call of Duty player, don’t buy the high-tier subscriptions. PlayStation Plus Essential is all you need. The Extra and Premium tiers give you a massive library of other games, but they do absolutely nothing to improve your Call of Duty experience. You’re just burning money at that point.
Save that extra cash for the Battle Pass or, better yet, a decent headset.
- Check the Monthly Games every first Tuesday. Sony has a habit of dropping older Call of Duty titles here without much fanfare.
- Download the Combat Packs manually. They don't always auto-download. You have to go to the PS Store, search for the game, and look at the "Add-ons" section to claim your free skins.
- Use the PS App. It’s actually faster to claim your PS Plus perks through the phone app than it is to navigate the sluggish PS5 store menu.
- Monitor your subscription end date. Sony removed the ability to stack years of memberships at a discount easily, so wait for the "Days of Play" sale in June to renew. That’s usually the only time you’ll see a 20-30% discount.
The reality of PlayStation Plus Call of Duty is that it's a mandatory partnership for the consumer. You need the service to play the game you already bought. It’s a bit of a bitter pill, but as long as the gunplay stays this smooth and the maps stay this iconic, most of us are just going to keep paying it. Just make sure you aren't paying for a higher tier than you actually use. Stick to Essential unless you really want to play God of War or Horizon on the side.
Actionable Next Steps
Check your current subscription tier in the "Subscriptions" tab of your PlayStation account settings. If you only play Call of Duty and Warzone, and you are currently on the "Extra" or "Premium" plan, downgrade to "Essential" for your next billing cycle to save roughly $50 to $80 a year. Additionally, head to the PlayStation Store right now and search for "Call of Duty Combat Pack" to ensure you've claimed this season's free operator skin and XP boosters, as these do not roll over to the next season if left unclaimed.