Microsoft has a desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation, Phil Spencer says
The news of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, first announced on Tuesday, is enormous for the games industry. Although the details about what it means for popular online titles are still to be revealed, they have been a lot of fun. Activision Blizzard holds several important IPs. World of WarcraftCall of Duty.
Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, took to Twitter to say that Microsoft won’t be pulling Call of Duty off of PlayStation with this new acquisition. “Good calls with Sony leaders this week. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation,” Spencer wrote on Thursday. “Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.”
Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. We will honor all contracts after Activision Blizzard is acquired. I also confirmed our intention to continue Call of Duty on PlayStation. We value the relationship with Sony, which is an integral part of the industry.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 20, 2022
While this is promising news for PlayStation users who also enjoy Call of Duty, it’s not a comprehensive statement. It’s possible that the situation could change in the future; for instance, a new mainline Call of Duty title and campaign could be exclusive to Microsoft’s platforms, while the free-to-play Warzone remains multi-platform. The word “desire” also indicates that this isn’t fully set in stone; there may be complex negotiations on the topic.
While this Tweet suggests there’s nothing to worry about any time soon, it feels like there’s a lingering “but” that has yet to be addressed. In the meantime, here’s a full rundown of every major franchise Microsoft now controls following the proposed Activision Blizzard deal.
#Microsoft #desire #Call #Duty #PlayStation #Phil #Spencer
