Microsoft and Sony have finally entered into an agreement to ensure Call of Duty remains on PlayStation for the foreseeable future, with the latter having resisted to do so over the course of several months. Once Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard is completed, the deal will see Call of Duty games continuing to release for PlayStation consoles for the next 10 years- though unlike with a number of other companies, the agreement doesn’t cover other Activision Blizzard titles.
Microsoft has previously committed to releasing all future Activision Blizzard games in agreements with a number of companies, including Nvidia, while it seems like its deal with Nintendo also covers more than just Call of Duty. The agreement with PlayStation, however, will only entail future Call of Duty games.
The same has been confirmed to The Verge by Kari Perez, head of global communications at Xbox. That means franchises such as Overwatch, Diablo, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and others aren’t guaranteed to release for PlayStation platforms in the future.
Interestingly, as reported by The Verge’s Tom Warren on Twitter, the initial terms that Microsoft had originally offered to Sony did include all current Activision Blizzard franchises, though the deal had a much shorter span and would have expired at the end of 2027.
Recently, the FTC was denied an in injunction against Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, while a follow-up appeal against the verdict has also been denied. Microsoft is currently also in the process of negotiating terms for the deal with the UK’s CMA, though the regulator recently pushed back the deadline for its final decision regarding the acquisition until August 29.
Microsoft has confirmed to The Verge that Sony's 10-year Call of Duty deal is limited to CoD. Microsoft originally offered to keep "existing Activision console titles on Sony”, including future versions of current Activision games on PS till end of 2027 https://t.co/yq4GadNGAi pic.twitter.com/OtmbylAGv7
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) July 16, 2023
