Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, confirmed that Call of Duty will continue to release on PlayStation consoles. After Microsoft announced the purchase of Activision Blizzard for 68.7 billion dollars, the first question that arose was:Call of Duty say goodbye to the Sony platform and become an Xbox exclusive? After so much speculation, those from Redmond have come out to dispel any doubts, and to reassure, of course, PlayStation players.
“I had some good calls this week with Sony leaders. I confirmed our intention to honor all existing agreements following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our wish to keep Call of Duty on playstation. Sony is an important part of our industry and we value our relationship,” said Phil Spencer through his Twitter account. Twitter.
Now, it is also true that Phil Spencer’s statement includes some thought-provoking words. For example, by mentioning “our desire”, some might interpret that your intention is subject to a series of conditioning that they themselves will establish. It would be Sony’s decision to accept them or not. We will probably have to wait until the second half of 2023 to know exactly how both companies are going to handle this issue, assuming that no problem arises with the approval of the regulatory bodies.
And it is not a minor issue, because Call of Duty is one of the best-selling franchises on PlayStation —in the United States it is the best seller, to mention a single territory—. In fact, since the PS4, the First Person Shooter has built a huge community on Sony consoles. The titles of recent years have offered exclusive content on PlayStation, while official tournaments are held on this platform.
Last Tuesday, the day they announced the purchase of Activision Blizzard, Phil Spencer himself had tried to convey peace of mind to the PlayStation community. “I will only say to gamers who enjoy Activision Blizzard games on the Sony platform: it is not our intention to drive communities away from that platform And we remain committed to that.”
It makes perfect sense that Call of Duty stay on PlayStation. After all, Microsoft’s real bet will be offering new games in the franchise through Xbox Game Pass on day one. Therefore, they can earn revenue from PlayStation and at the same time boost their subscription, what is the important.