Microsoft Confirms Call of Duty, Popular Activision Blizzard Titles Will Remain Multiplatform Beyond Current Agreements

Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard in a deal that was quickly questioned by many. They wanted to know if Call of Duty, as well as other games from Activision Blizzard would be made exclusive Xbox titles. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, quickly said that Microsoft would honor any existing agreements between Sony Interactive Entertainment and Activision in regard to Call of Duty. He also vaguely stated that he wanted to keep the series available on PlayStation. 

Phil’s last statement was quite clear, but it is open to interpretation. A new blog post by Microsoft further clarifies its commitment to keeping Activision Blizzard titles multiplatform. In preparation for Activision’s acquisition approval, the post discusses the new Microsoft Store principles.

Microsoft will keep Call of Duty, and the other Activision Blizzard games available on PlayStation throughout any Activision agreement. Sony has also been promised that they will make the titles available to PlayStation in future. Also, we are interested in similar actions to help support Nintendo’s platform. It is the right decision for us, the gamers, and the business.

In short, Microsoft will continue to allow future Call of Duty entries and other titles to remain multiplatform even after they’re not legally required to. This message can be interpreted to mean existing franchises that have established fan bases. It is possible that new IPs will be added. For now though, players who wish to play Overwatch, Diablo or Crash Bandicoot across multiple consoles seem to have little to worry about long-term. 

Recall that assuming Microsoft’s acquisition goes through the long approval process by the government, it is not expected that the deal will close before the summer of 2023. Activision Blizzard is still an independent entity. If/when that happens, it’s good to know that whatever dead Activision franchises Microsoft chooses to resurrect have a strong chance of appearing on non-Xbox platforms.