It finally happened: PlayStation signs deal with Microsoft for Call of Duty

In a surprising announcement on Sunday, game console has been with Microsoft reserve call of Duty on the former platform.

After months of discussions and closing deals with various companies, today Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed that PlayStation has signed a deal with Microsoft for Call of Duty. Spencer wrote on his Twitter account: “We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to continue Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. “We look forward to more choices for players around the world to play their favorite games in the future.”

Spencer didn’t reveal much beyond that, but given Sony’s displeasure and criticism of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it’s clearly a huge deal. It’s safe to assume that Microsoft already has a similar 10-year deal with Nintendo, as Microsoft has previously offered a similar deal to PlayStation. This is just the latest step forward for Microsoft, and it almost guarantees that the deal will go ahead.

Earlier this week, the FTC’s appeal of a federal judge’s ruling allowing Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard was denied. With Microsoft striking the PlayStation deal, the final major hurdle now comes from the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, which also earlier this week extended its deadline to make a final decision on the acquisition.

If the deal does pan out (and it’s looking less and less like an “if”), it would be the biggest deal in gaming history — a deal that would cost Microsoft a staggering $70 billion, almost the Acquired ten times as much as Starfield and Fallout. Developer Bethesda is back in 2021.

The deal would also bring big titles like World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2, Candy Crush Saga and Call of Duty to Microsoft’s pocket, a big move for a company that hasn’t been as successful in the space as its rivals. in a very favorable position. game space.