Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said Microsoft has signed a deal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following Activision’s acquisition of Blizzard. Tweet Sunday.
A deal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation would further ease concerns about the acquisition’s impact on competition.
Speaking about the agreement, Microsoft President Brad Smith A Tweet“Even after we cross the finish line to approve this deal, we will remain focused on making sure Call of Duty is available on more platforms and for more customers.”
The FTC had argued that the deal would harm consumers, whether they play video games on consoles or have subscriptions, because Microsoft would have an incentive to drive out competitors such as Sony Group.
Microsoft previously agreed to license Call of Duty to rivals, including a 10-year deal with Nintendo, to address the FTC’s concerns following the closing of the merger.
In January 2022, Microsoft announced its Activision bid. The internet giant wanted to take on rivals Tencent and Sony through acquisitions. Earlier, the two companies signed 10-year licensing deals that would bring Call of Duty to their respective gaming platforms if the Activision deal is approved. However, Microsoft has now decided to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. In fact, Spain’s Nware has signed a 10-year deal to bring Xbox and Activision Blizzard games to the Spanish cloud-gaming platform.
Brazil, Chile, Serbia and Saudi Arabia have already unconditionally ratified the agreement.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
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