Microsoft is about to make the biggest gaming deal of all time. The acquisition of Activision Blizzard also means an uncertain future for the Call of Duty series on PlayStation. The Xbox manufacturer has probably already made a decision on how to proceed for the shooter on PS4 and PS5.
Release: 10/28/2022
Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X
Will Call of Duty stay on the PlayStation?
Microsoft plans to take over gaming giant Activision Blizzard for a whopping $69 billion. The purchase could serious consequences for the publisher’s games to have. After all, Microsoft is then free to let games like Call of Duty disappear completely from competing platforms like the PlayStation.
In a document from the Brazilian regulatory authorities, Microsoft is now making it clear that such fears are unfounded:
While Sony’s criticism of content exclusivity isn’t surprising, given that PlayStation’s entire strategy in recent years has revolved around exclusivity, the reality is that Activision Blizzard’s strategy is not to target rival consoles bring, just wouldn’t be profitable for Microsoft.
Check out the trailer for a new map in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 here:
Marina Bay Grand Prix in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
PlayStation players are particularly loyal to their consoles
Microsoft goes on to say that such a move would only be worthwhile if Activision Blizzard’s games got enough people to switch to the Xbox ecosystem, by buying an Xbox Series X, for example (see it on Amazon). Microsoft particularly emphasizes the loyalty of PlayStation users, which puts Sony in a very strong position.
Microsoft also provides an alternative scenario. Even if Call of Duty were to be exclusive to Xbox, take that anyway no impact on competition. The reason for this is the intense competition in the gaming market and the fact that exclusivity strategies are very common there (source: Videogameschronicle).
With statements like these, Microsoft primarily wants to ensure that regulatory authorities not object to the Activision-Blizzard deal. For the same reason, Microsoft has tried to downplay the importance of Activision Blizzards works. In doing so, the Xbox manufacturer almost became insulting.
