Call of Duty fans can continue fragging on PlayStation
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer revealed on Twitter that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms. The agreement will take effect following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard which could happen at any time following recent court rulings.
“We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games,” Spencer tweeted.
No further details on the agreement have been released, so we’re not sure if this is similar to the decade-long deal between Microsoft and Nintendo earlier this year.
Microsoft President Brad Smith also chimed in about the new agreement. “From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before,” Smith tweeted.
Microsoft has said before that financially it didn’t make sense to pull the game from Sony platforms. Even Phil Spencer reiterated under oath that Call of Duty would remain on PlayStation 5.
What about all the other Activision Blizzard games?
Despite the good news for CoD fans, there’s still no word on what will happen with other Activision Blizzard titles. As referenced above, it doesn’t make sense for Microsoft to pull games like Overwatch 2 from other platforms.
Still, uncertainty surrounding the whole ordeal is very frustrating for gamers who prefer non-Xbox platforms.
For now, the focus has shifted to the UK. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority vetoed the acquisition back in April. The CMA claimed, “the deal would alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market”.
The timing of everything is quite interesting. Legally Microsoft has to pay a $3 billion breakup fee if the deal is not completed by July 18. This also opens the deal up to new renegotiations.
