• News

Microsoft & Sony reach 10-year agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation

Xbox and Sony agree to bring COD to PlayStation consoles for the next 10 years.

Asif Khan

July 16, 2023 12:00 PM

@VeloceEsports

2

Microsoft and Sony have reached a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for the next ten years. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer announced the deal on Twitter earlier today.

We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 16, 2023

The deal is similar to the commitment for COD support that Microsoft gave to Nintendo and other cloud gaming players in an effort to appease regulators scrutinizing the Activision Blizzard acquisition.

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith added some additional color on today's announcement stating "From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before."

Following the FTC's failed attempt at being granted an appeal late last week, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft intend to close the transaction by Tuesday, July 18, but one regulator could still throw a wrench into that plan. The United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has a history of forcing sales and blocking technology deals and remains the last hurdle for Microsoft's nearly $70 billion ATVI acquisition. 

Microsoft (MSFT) has a long track record of making massive acquisitions, with the Xbox division making a ton of moves in recent years. It remains to be seen how the company will execute in the coming years as Activision Blizzard joins the ever-growing portfolio of gaming studios at Microsoft. 

Keep it locked on Shacknews for all the latest news about trillion dollar companies fairly competing with much smaller billion dollar companies.

Asif Khan

CEO/EIC/EIEIO

Asif Khan is the CEO, EIC, and majority shareholder of Shacknews. He began his career in video game journalism as a freelancer in 2001 for Tendobox.com. Asif is a CPA and was formerly an investment adviser representative. After much success in his own personal investments, he retired from his day job in financial services and is currently focused on new private investments. His favorite PC game of all time is Duke Nukem 3D, and he is an unapologetic fan of most things Nintendo. Asif first frequented the Shack when it was sCary's Shugashack to find all things Quake. When he is not immersed in investments or gaming he is a purveyor of fine electronic music. Asif also has an irrational love of Cleveland sports.