Microsoft Lets Sony Have ‘Several More Years’ Of Call Of Duty, As A Treat Good news PlayStation Call of Duty players: Microsoft says you get to have “several more years” of playing the shoot-bang game on your Sony console.
According to The Verge, earlier this year Microsoft’s Xbox boss Phil Spencer made that commitment to PlayStation boss Jim Ryan in a written letter saying that Call of Duty wasn’t going to disappear off the PlayStation storefront anytime soon if Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved by regulators.
Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony.
I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation.
Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 20, 2022 “In January, we provided a signed agreement to Sony to guarantee Call of Duty on PlayStation, with feature and content parity, for at least several more years beyond the current Sony contract, an offer that goes well beyond typical gaming industry agreements,” Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, told The Verge.
While exactly how long “several more years” might be is unknown, PlayStation players who feared that the CoD franchise would become Xbox-exclusive alongside the likes of Bethesda’s upcoming space action-rpg, Starfield, can breathe easy for at least a little while longer.
Back in January, Microsoft announced it was closing in on a $US70 ($97) billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard, the publisher behind Overwatch, Diablo, Call of Duty, and Candy Crush.
Currently, Microsoft is arguing with lawmakers and regulatory groups around the world saying that its deal is on the up and up and won’t damage the gaming industry.
Read More: Sony Says Call Of Duty Is An ‘Essential Game’ Series While Microsoft Argues It Ain’t One such claim from the Xbox company appeared in a report from the New Zealand Commerce Commission published in June, where the massive corporation asserted that there was “nothing unique about the video games developed and published” by Activision and that none of the games, including the Call of Duty franchise, were “must have” games for any rival gaming company or platform holder.
Shortly after Microsoft announced its acquisition of Activision, Sony revealed plans to buy Destiny 2 maker Bungie for $US3.
6 ($5) billion and invested $US1 ($1) billion into Epic Games.
Sony’s investment in Epic Games marked the PlayStation company’s third recent spending spree, as it bought Bluepoint Games, the studio behind the well-regarded PS5 Demon’s Souls remaster, last year.
