It took about 18 months to negotiate, but the companies will keep the popular game on PlayStation.
Sony and Microsoft have finally come to a deal regarding Call of Duty after their discussion regarding the game’s future began about a year and a half ago. They have decided that they will keep the game on PlayStation.
The companies came to the decision to keep the app on PlayStation after Activision Blizzard is acquired.
“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,” said Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s head of Xbox, in a recent tweet. “We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.”
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
This new direction was taken after some important regulatory decisions were made regarding the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Sony was strongly opposed to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, becoming the singular driving force behind the majority of the regulatory issues surrounding that deal. This, even as it holds the position at the top of the video game console industry.
That said, when Microsoft was finally granted permission to close the acquisition, Sony stepped back. Whether they will be able to operate smoothly together in a form of partnership moving forward has yet to be seen.
Microsoft was offering Sony the option to keep Call of Duty in negotiations last December.
Reports indicated that during the December 2022 negotiations, Microsoft was working to appeal to Sony by offering to not only keep Call of Duty on PlayStation and also to broaden access to include PlayStation Plus games, those titles in Sony’s existing subscription service somewhat like a Game Pass.
From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on… https://t.co/hMWjC58wRi
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) July 16, 2023
“From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers,” said Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, in a recent tweet. “Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before.”