Sony and Microsoft sign agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation
Sony and Microsoft have signed an agreement regarding Call of Duty. Microsoft will continue to release Call of Duty games on PlayStation consoles after the tech giant acquired Activision. Microsoft previously said it would continue to release CoD on other platforms.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer reported on Sunday that Microsoft and Sony have signed a ‘binding agreement’ to keep Call of Duty on the PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. It is not clear how long that agreement will last. Microsoft previously signed ten-year agreements with Nintendo and various cloud gaming services, among others.
The agreement puts an end to a battle between the two companies. Sony has long resisted the Activision takeover by Microsoft. The latter has promised several times in the past that CoD will not be released on other platforms, including the PlayStation. Sony has so far refused to sign an agreement with Microsoft to continue releasing Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles. The PlayStation maker wanted to stop the takeover.
We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 16, 2023
Sony said during competitive investigations and lawsuits that Sony was concerned that Call of Duty will become an Xbox exclusive. Sony also expressed its fears that Microsoft may deliberately bug the PlayStation version of Call of Duty. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan previously wrote in an internal email that he was not afraid that CoD will become an Xbox exclusive. This was evident from documents released in a lawsuit surrounding the intended takeover.
The Activision takeover by Microsoft was under pressure for a long time, but it is becoming increasingly likely that the deal can go through. The US Federal Trade Commission tried to stop the takeover through a preliminary injunction while its own investigation was still ongoing, but lost a court case. The FTC has appealed that ruling.
The British CMA, which previously blocked the takeover, has also been open to new concessions since the conclusion of that lawsuit. The CMA may conduct a new investigation into the takeover. The regulator had a deadline of July 18 to make a final ruling, but recently decided to postpone it until August 28. This follows reports that Microsoft plans to make new concessions towards the UK. For example, the company could sell its cloud gaming rights within that country.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II