Image via Activision Blizzard
Microsoft has confirmed that PlayStation will still have Call of Duty for “several more years” after the current marketing deal with Activision expires. This comes following the Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft, valued at $70 billion, that broke headlines earlier this year.
Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, stated that “In January, we provided a signed agreement to Sony to guarantee Call of Duty on PlayStation, with feature and content parity, for at least several more years beyond the current Sony contract, an offer that goes well beyond typical gaming industry agreements.”
Bloomberg reported that sources familiar with the Activision plans claimed in January that Activision was still contractually obliged to release Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles for the next three years. These would be Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 this year along with Warzone 2, and a new Call of Duty game from Treyarch that is reportedly another Black Ops title. The Treyarch game may not release until 2024, however.
The Microsoft acquisition of Activision has been the subject of scrutiny over antitrust issues. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said they may expand their inquiry into the merger over the potential impacts the deal may have on Sony’s ability to compete.
The CMA gave Microsoft and Activision Blizzard until September 8 to submit proposals addressing its concerns, which include the idea that “Call of Duty is sufficiently important that losing access to it (or losing access on competitive terms) could significantly impact Sony’s revenues and user base.”
Microsoft claimed that Activision Blizzard did not publish any “must have” games.
