Today we have surely had the news of the year and it is only January. But it is not for less, since Microsoft announced the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, one of the largest publishers and developers in the world. Unsurprisingly, they are at the controls of sagas like Call of Duty, WoW or even Diablo.
But beyond that, and as happened with the takeover of ZeniMax-Bethesda, there is the question of what will happen to the next games and launches from the various Activision studios. And above all, in what situation is Call of Duty.
Microsoft is considering releasing some Activision games on other systems
Go ahead, as the purchase becomes effective in the coming months, all of Activision’s IPs will be part of Xbox Game Studios, along with its research and technology. And surely those of Redmond will follow the same path they followed with Bethesda, maintaining previous agreements and later returning all games developed by Activision teams and based on exclusive licenses.
In a particular situation is Call of Duty, one of the most purchased and most played sagas each year. Will subsequent installments be released on more systems? This is the big question everyone is asking right now and the answer will surely take time to find out. However, according to the words spoken by a person familiar with thought and the business idea suggests that Microsoft is reportedly keeping certain games released on PlayStation consoles and other systems outside of the Xbox ecosystem. Of course, Warzone would continue to be available on all systems, as is currently the case with Minecraft or The Elder Scrolls Online.
In the same way, there will also be exclusive content for Xbox, including new games or their premiere direct to Xbox Game Pass, as has already happened with Bethesda, whose first two big new AAAs announced, Redfall and Starfield, will only come to Xbox, Cloud and PC.
Finally, Microsoft also addressed this issue in the middle of Axios, and which Tom Henderson echoed, in which they practically “retrace” the message that Microsoft conveyed with Bethesda at the beginning: support for existing, franchises that ‘they keep, but probably the new games will be exclusive.
Microsoft’s PR statement to Axios: “AB games exist on a variety of platforms today, and we plan to continue supporting these communities in the future. The acquisition aims to increase the availability of Activision content. Blizzard on more platforms, including mobile.”
—Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) January 18, 2022
Anyway, over the months and when the purchase is finally closed, we will know more details about Microsoft’s intention and the future of Activision games. But if Starfield is exclusive, let’s start dreaming.
