Ever since Microsoft broke the gaming world by announcing that it will be acquiring Activision Blizzard for a deal worth over an astounding $68 billion, there have been major concerns over the future of the popular gaming franchise Call of Duty. The games have been industry-defining for decades and are loved by fans worldwide. Ever since its inception, the game could be enjoyed across all platforms, but many were speculating that Microsoft would make the title PC and Xbox exclusive as a move to directly phase out its only real competitor, Sony. The Japanese mega-corp has already been directly hit by the move as the company’s stock fell by a significant amount following the days of the acquisition.
If you account for the millions of PlayStation users that have been playing Call of Duty since they were kids or teenagers, this move would have been drastic in shaping the future of console war. But Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming recently announced that the title will stay, and he quoted, ” I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation.”, the details of which the two parties discussed over the phone.
Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 20, 2022
He also recognized Sony as an essential competitor, as he went on to say, “Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.”
But it seems Sony was also banking on this move to go through, as a Sony spokesperson in an interview with Wall Street Journal said, “We expect that Microsoft will abide by contractual agreements and continue to ensure Activision games are multiplatform”
What’s in it for Microsoft?
The decision might sound very professional and ethical, but the idea of cutting off one of your thickest revenue streams, wouldn’t make sense from a business standpoint. Plus the number of players that buy Call of Duty titles every year surpasses millions, that is not even accounting for the players that grind Call of Duty: Warzone, which is one the most popular Battle Royales of all time. This would lead to extremely bad PR and a very angry and active community.
