The behemoth Microsoft acquisition of Activision-Blizzard will have a major impact on the video game industry. Perhaps the most notable aspect is how this deal ties into Call of Duty, and whether the franchise will continue to be multiplatform – just as it has for the past 20 years. Based on a recent statement from PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, it appears there’s a dispute over how to effectively handle the Call of Duty franchise after the acquisition is completed. But what does Sony think of the deal, how will it impact Call of Duty, and what does it all mean for you?
PlayStation is not happy with the deal
Microsoft offered to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms for three years after Sony and Activision’s current deal expires. (A January 2022 Bloomberg report suggests this deal could expire in 2024). In response, Jim Ryan told: GamesIndustry.biz that this offer was “inadequate”, arguing that Microsoft is not thinking about the consumer.
“After nearly 20 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation, their proposal was inadequate on many levels and failed to consider the impact on our gamers,” said Ryan. “We want to ensure that PlayStation gamers continue to have the highest quality Call of Duty experience, and Microsoft’s proposal undermines this principle.”
Earlier in September, Microsoft head of games Phil Spencer said: The edge“In January, we provided Sony with a signed agreement to guarantee Call of Duty on PlayStation, with parity of features and content, for at least several years longer than the current Sony contract, an offer that goes far beyond typical agreements in the game industry.”
This seems to contradict Spencer’s statement Bloomberg earlier in 2022, in which he said, “I’m just saying to players who play Activision Blizzard games on the Sony platform, we don’t intend to pull communities away from that platform and we’ve remained committed to that.”
For this reason, Ryan publicly addressed the contradiction in a statement to: GamesIndustry.biz this week:
“I wasn’t going to comment on what I understood to be a private business discussion,” Ryan said, “but I feel the need to set it straight because Phil Spencer has brought this to the public forum.”
If Microsoft gets Call of Duty three years after the contract from PlayStation, it will undoubtedly cause a backlash from the community, especially given the huge install base on PS4 and PS5.
What does this mean for players?
According to BloombergMicrosoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard will close on June 30, 2023. And then the Sony-Activision contract expires sometime around 2024 (but we don’t know when for sure). So Call of Duty will likely remain on PlayStation consoles until at least 2026 and perhaps well into 2027. Assuming Call of Duty is taken off PlayStation around this time, players will only be able to access the franchise on Xbox and PC in the future. . There’s always a chance Microsoft will license the game to Sony as a source of revenue, but there’s also a chance Microsoft will take advantage of the console’s exclusivity.
Microsoft will likely bring Call of Duty to Xbox Game Pass, as it has with its other first-party franchises. This will allow the series to reach more players, especially if Call of Duty games become available on day one.
Call of Duty fans should be aware of this, especially if they’re looking to pick up a new console in the near future.
There’s also the added wrinkle that Microsoft has brought an Xbox app to Samsung smart TVs. In theory, if you buy a Samsung smart TV sometime in the next five years, you’ll be able to play every new Call of Duty game for the foreseeable future with nothing more than an Xbox Game Pass subscription — no console needed.
At this point, it’s unclear what exactly will happen to Call of Duty on PlayStation after 2026. But it’s clear that this gives Xbox a big advantage over Sony.
Microsoft executives like Phil Spencer know exactly how valuable the Activision-Blizzard purchase will be in the long run, especially as Call of Duty remains one of the best-selling franchises in gaming. Anecdotally, there are gamers who play Call of Duty and little else. Removing the franchise from PlayStation consoles in whatever capacity will functionally force these consumers to switch to Xbox (or at least Xbox Game Pass), even if they’ve been a PlayStation enthusiast for years.
We’ll have to wait and see how this all unfolds, but when 2026 rolls around, don’t be surprised if you need to have an Xbox (or PC) to play Call of Duty from then on, leaving PlayStation in the dust.
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