"Call of Duty" on Playstation: Sony signs deal with Microsoft

Domagoj Belancic

17.7.2023

Translation: machine translated

Microsoft confirms that Sony has signed a deal for "Call of Duty". The popular game series will continue to be released for Playstation consoles following Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft is acquiring the video games group Activision Blizzard King for around 69 billion dollars. The deal is set to go through on 18 July. Even after the takeover, the mega franchise "Call of Duty" will continue to be released for Playstation consoles. To ensure this, Sony has signed a binding deal with Microsoft. This was confirmed by Xbox boss Phil Spencer in a tweet:

Spencer writes: "We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and Playstation have signed an agreement that will see Call of Duty continue to appear on Playstation consoles following the Activision Blizzard acquisition. We look forward to a future where gamers worldwide have more choice to play their favourite games."

The Verge confirms to Kari Perez, Head of Global Communications at Xbox, that the deal relates exclusively to "Call of Duty" and is limited to ten years. Nintendo already signed a similar agreement in December last year. The popular game series will also be published on Steam until further notice. Cloud gaming platforms such as Boosteroid, Ubitus and Nvidia Now have even signed agreements that will secure other Activision game series in addition to "Call of Duty" for the next ten years.

Microsoft entered into the numerous deals in order to convince regulatory authorities around the world of the takeover. For a long time, it was unclear whether the mega-acquisition would actually materialise. In the USA, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tried to block the purchase in July - without success. In the UK, the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) opposed the takeover in April of this year. However, Microsoft now also appears to have found a solution with the British regulators.

Sony has so far positioned itself as the biggest opponent of the billion-euro acquisition. The Japanese company has strictly refused to enter into deals with Microsoft in the hope that the takeover can be stopped.

In August 2022, Playstation boss Jim Ryan refused a three-year contract for "Call of Duty" and other Activision franchises on Playstation platforms. In December 2022, Sony rejected the same 10-year deal for "Call of Duty" that Nintendo accepted. Now that nothing stands in the way of the mega-acquisition, Sony also feels compelled to enter into an agreement with gaming rival Microsoft.

Domagoj Belancic

Senior Editor

Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.ch

My love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.