Phil Spencer, the boss of Xbox, confirms that Call of Duty will remain well on PlayStation. But for how long ?
It took a few days after the announcement of the takeover of Activision-Blizzard by Microsoft for the latter to decide on the fate of the franchise. call of duty. Indeed, after a few vague sentences evoking the franchises of the studio, Sony took the floor by explaining that it was counting on the good faith of Microsoft (and the agreements signed with Activision-Blizzard) so that the games currently multiplatform remain so.
In a message on Twitter, it was Phil Spencer, the boss of Xbox, who confirmed the news, stating that Sony’s message had arrived at its destination, and that the firm intended to respect its contractual obligations towards its competitor. . He declares :
“ I had some good talks this week with Sony executives. I have confirmed our intention to honor all existing agreements upon the 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. »
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
Yes, but for how long ?
Indeed, these contracts will inevitably come to an end, and we still do not know what will happen to call of duty at this moment. However, we learn in Phil Spencer’s message that Microsoft adopts a dominant position, of course, but with a certain fair play. As explained, Microsoft seems to value the relationship it has with its direct competitor, so much so that it would be possible for the firm not to question the multiplatform status of Call of Duty.
On the other hand, we still have no news of the other Activision-Blizzard franchises, which could well become Xbox exclusives within the next few years. Until that happens (or not), it’s worth remembering that Call of Duty wouldn’t be the first franchise to remain cross-platform even after a takeover by Microsoft.
This is indeed also the case of Minecraft, developed by Mojang Studios, acquired by Microsoft in 2014. Since then, the title is still available on many platforms, including PlayStation consoles. This is also the case with RPGs. Minecraft Dungeonsyet released well after the takeover, in 2020. Knowing that it is extremely unlikely that contractual obligations will still bind PlayStation and Mojang Studios, this gives some hope for the Call of Duty franchise.
