Microsoft is about to acquire Activision Blizzard. In this article, we explore what this acquisition means for major franchises like Call of Duty.
Exclusivity within Call of Duty
To begin with, this is a difficult question to answer because, in principle, a similar case has never occurred. Previously, Microsoft has had deals with Activision around the Call of Duty series, for example for exclusive DLC or early DLC. There is also the option to make the beta playable exclusively on a certain platform, something we have seen happen before with the Call of Duty series.
Watch our video on the impact of Activision Blizzard’s acquisition of Microsoft:
It is most obvious to draw a comparison with the acquisition of ZeniMax by Microsoft. This one was a lot smaller, but considering the size of some of the company’s franchises, it might have been just as high-profile among fans. Then the question immediately arose as to whether games such as a new The Elder Scrolls would still appear on PlayStation. If we Phil Spencer may believe, then that game will follow the same path as Starfield, which will be released exclusively for Xbox Series X|S and PC. Other games from Bethesda and ZeniMax, such as Deathloop or Tokyo: Ghostwire, were already locked in on exclusivity and were therefore exclusive to PlayStation.
Is Call of Duty going to be an Xbox exclusive?
At the moment nothing is certain yet. First we have to wait and see if the takeover is completed. At ZeniMax this took about half a year. That acquisition was announced in September 2020 and was completed in March 2021. It is also questionable whether Phil Spencer, who often opens up about these kinds of issues, makes statements about the exclusivity of certain games.
If we look at the previous acquisition of ZeniMax by Microsoft, then we do not have to fear exclusivity for the next part, but this could play a role for any sequels of Call of Duty. Presumably it is about console exclusivity. Microsoft has been releasing its exclusives on PC for years.
Out Bloomberg sources It turns out that Microsoft still wants to release certain Activision Blizzard games on PlayStation, so there is still hope for Call of Duty. It is not yet certain whether this statement also refers specifically to the first person shooter:
via Bloomberg sources:
“Microsoft plans to keep making some of Activision’s games for PlayStation consoles but will also keep some content exclusive to Xbox”https://t.co/fG8009c0fd pic.twitter.com/8h4fpIeXrh
– Nibel (@Nibellion) January 18, 2022
Conclusion
Unfortunately, we can’t say anything with certainty about the exclusivity of a large series like Call of Duty before the moment comes. If we look at the next part, it is most likely that the game will appear on all known platforms. Such a big title is planned way in advance, so there is not much to change in terms of platforms. If we look further into the future and Microsoft opts for the same approach as with Bethesda, then you may have to purchase an Xbox after all.
