Call of Duty Retains Freedom under Microsoft

The acquisition of the century is approaching its resolution. Microsoft is set to acquire Activision-Blizzard-King. As a result, many beloved franchises stand poised to join team green. PlayStation stood in opposition to the merger. However, they too seem to bend the knee as of today when it comes to Call of Duty.

Bravo-6 Going Dark

Call of Duty remains one of the biggest franchises of all time. Consequently, PlayStation argued the merger would harm their business should Call of Duty become exclusive to Microsoft. Many found the argument baseless especially when PlayStation has used exclusive deals and marketing rights before. They have always sought to gain an advantage in the spirit of competition.

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Judge Corley’s line of thinking led her to the same conclusion. She denied the preliminary injunction sought by the FTC and the following appeal also fell through. However, PlayStation met with Microsoft earlier today to strike a new deal. Phil Spencer announced a new agreement between the two assuring Call of Duty remains available on all platforms after the merger.

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

Previously, Phil Spencer stated the FPS juggernaut would remain available on PlayStation(under oath). Yet, the promise is set in stone with the binding agreement. This also makes financial sense. The franchise makes a ton of money, not to mention the popularity of Warzone 2.0.

The Zenimax acquisition already set a precedent for this case in terms of previous titles. Anything that is already available on multiple platforms will remain so. However, the Activision-Blizzard-King merger smartly strays when it comes to future installments of Call of Duty. Now, fans will have to see what becomes exclusive from their wheelhouse(or lands on Game Pass) once the merger is complete.