Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for at least ten years.
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
“We have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard,” Spencer said. “We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.”
This deal signals the end of a legal battle that began when Microsoft announced it was acquiring Activision Blizzard in January 2022.
“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,” Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said.
This deal is solely for the Call of Duty franchise. It doesn’t include any other properties now owned by Microsoft, similar to the deal Nintendo has with Activision for the series. In the original pitch to Sony, the deal allowed ” all existing Activision console titles on Sony, including future versions in the Call of Duty franchise or any other current Activision franchise on Sony through December 31st, 2027.” Now the deal is simply for Call of Duty.
The argument from Sony included fearing that Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard would provide a lesser product on PlayStation than the Xbox version.
Last week, the FTC lost its case against Microsoft. “This Court’s responsibility in this case is narrow,” Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley’s decision. “It is to decide if, notwithstanding these current circumstances, the merger should be halted—perhaps even terminated—pending resolution of the FTC administrative action. For the reasons explained, the Court finds the FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim this particular vertical merger in this specific industry may substantially lessen competition. To the contrary, the record evidence points to more consumer access to Call of Duty and other Activision content. The motion for a preliminary injunction is therefore DENIED.”
The Federal Trade Commission looked to appeal against the decision, but it was denied on July 14.
