Microsoft has pledged to keep Call of Duty available on PlayStation for “several years” after the existing marketing deal between Sony and Activision expires – assuming the Activision Blizzard acquisition goes ahead.
Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer wrote to PlayStation President and CEO Jim Ryan earlier this year, promising that a Report by The Verge
Spencer has previously made several public comments to the same general effect, noting the importance of the PlayStation community to Call of Duty and comparing the game to it Minecraftthat Microsoft has kept available on PlayStation and other platforms since acquiring Mojang in 2014. However, this is the first such statement guaranteeing the availability of Call of Duty on PlayStation beyond the terms of existing agreements, however vague.
Microsoft is keen not to portray its acquisition of Activision Blizzard as anti-competitive as it faces scrutiny from governments around the world. So this is a leak that Spencer and his team were very happy to confirm.
But in response to concerns from the UK competition authority last week, Spencer said for the first time that Call of Duty games will be coming to Xbox subscription service Game Pass. Assuming they remain unavailable on competing products like PlayStation Plus – which seems likely – this could still be quite a differentiator for Microsoft as it seeks to expand the concept of gaming platforms beyond the hardware needed to play games used at home.