Activision's TMNT Bundle Sparks Call for Free Black Ops 6

Call of Duty’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collaboration appears to require up to $90 worth of COD Points to unlock all items—prompting players to suggest Activision make Black Ops 6 free-to-play instead.

Activision revealed the Black Ops 6 Season 02 Reloaded content launching on February 20, outlining the upcoming mid-season crossover with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Each of the four turtles—Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael—has a dedicated premium bundle. Following patterns from past collaborations, each bundle is likely priced at 2,400 COD Points (about $19.99). To collect all four turtles, players would need to spend roughly $80 in COD Points.

That’s not all. Similar to the controversial Squid Game crossover, Activision introduced a premium event pass for the TMNT collaboration priced at 1,100 COD Points ($10). This pass includes several notable cosmetics, most prominently Master Splinter, which is exclusive to the paid track. The free track offers two Foot Clan soldier skins and other items.

Many have noted the Turtles crossover focuses solely on cosmetics without gameplay-affecting content. Purchasing these bundles isn't required to compete in Black Ops 6 multiplayer, and some players argue it’s easy to ignore such collaborations if you choose.

Despite this, criticism has grown over the high price of these cosmetics. The introduction of a second premium event pass in Call of Duty has led some to argue that Black Ops 6 is being monetized like a free-to-play title such as Fortnite.

“Activision casually glossed over the fact that you'd need to pay over $80 for all four Turtles, plus another $10 for the TMNT event pass rewards,” commented redditor II_JangoFett_II. “Call of Duty’s gross greed strikes again... DESPICABLE!”

“Looks like we can expect a paid event pass every season now,” suggested Hipapitapotamus. “Remember when events actually rewarded cool universal camos for free.”

“The Turtles don’t even use guns,” remarked APensiveMonkey. “Their fingers wouldn't fit the triggers... I hate this...”

It helps to review how Activision monetizes Black Ops 6. Each season introduces a new battle pass: the base version costs 1,100 COD Points ($9.99), while the premium BlackCell tier sells for $29.99 separately. A steady stream of store cosmetics adds to the spending. The Turtles crossover, complete with its own premium event pass, is an extra layer on top of these existing systems.

“So they expect players to buy the game, buy the battle pass or BlackCell, and now this? That’s too much,” added PunisherR35. “If this becomes the norm, Call of Duty should shift to a free-to-play model for campaign and multiplayer.”

In reality, Activision’s aggressive monetization in Call of Duty is nothing new. However, the debut of the premium event pass with the Squid Game crossover—and its return with TMNT—has pushed some fans to a breaking point. Critics note that applying the same monetization strategy to the $70 Black Ops 6 as to free-to-play Warzone feels unfair. What may be acceptable in a free game like Warzone feels excessive in a full-priced title.

That’s why some players are calling for Black Ops 6 multiplayer to become free-to-play. With each new microtransaction, the paid multiplayer experience increasingly resembles free games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Marvel Rivals, and Warzone itself.

Activision and parent company Microsoft are likely to stay the course, given Call of Duty’s immense popularity. Black Ops 6 set records as the biggest series launch ever and broke single-day Game Pass subscription records. PlayStation and Steam sales rose 60% compared to 2023's Modern Warfare 3. Clearly, the franchise remains a financial powerhouse for Activision and Microsoft—a reassuring outcome after Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition.