Microsoft and Sony Agree to Call of Duty Deal

Sony has finally answered the email Microsoft sent 18 months ago and has agreed to a deal that will keep Call of Duty on PlayStation.

“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,” Microsoft head of Xbox Phil Spencer tweeted this morning. “We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.”

It’s amazing how things can change after some key regulatory victories. Sony hasn’t just opposed Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it was the sole motivation behind most of the regulatory concern about the deal, despite its domination of the video game console industry. But with Microsoft cleared to finally close the acquisition, Sony has bowed to the inevitable. One only hopes that they can behave as partners, or as co-opetition at least, going forward.

And hopefully, Sony got a good deal here. Back in December, reports suggested that Microsoft tried to entice Sony to the negotiation table by not just offering to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation but by expanding access to include the games in PlayStation Plus, Sony’s Game Pass-like subscription service.

“From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers,” Microsoft president Brad Smith added via tweet. “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.”