Microsoft signs 10-year deal with Nintendo for Call of Duty

Microsoft president Brad Smith confirmed today that the tech giant has locked in an agreement with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo devices “the same day as Xbox.” The games would include “full feature and content parity.”

Smith revealed the deal via Twitter, noting that it is “just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms.”

Under the contract, Nintendo owners will get a chance to “experience Call of Duty just as Xbox and PlayStation gamers enjoy Call of Duty.”

Microsoft previously announced that a 10-year commitment had been made with Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo consoles back in 2022. Now, it looks like the agreement has been made official as a signed and binding legal contract.

Call of Duty has not been available for Nintendo consoles since Call of Duty: Ghosts released back in 2013 for the Wii U.

Part of the Larger Effort in the Activision Acquisition

The move is part of Microsoft’s deal to acquire Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion. However, the deal has been facing intense resistance and scrutiny from anti-trust organizations. Back in December, the FTC revealed it would be seeking to sue to block the deal.

The CMA in the UK also expressed concerns regarding the deal, and it has faced much scrutiny in much of Europe.

Microsoft has reiterated its commitment to maintaining Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles, which seems to be the biggest point of contention in the deal’s unfolding. Sony is concerned that Xbox would get an unfair advantage should the deal go through.

However, Phil Spencer —head of Xbox— has expressed that he believes the deal will go through regardless.


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Zainah Yousef is the author of The Fallen Age Saga and specializes in gaming, social media advice, and reviews. She's been writing all her life and she probably won't stop anytime soon.