"Call Of Duty" fans rejoice! Your favorite shoot-'em-up series is not leaving PlayStation, even if Microsoft now owns Activision Blizzard.
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This confirmation was made by Phil Spencer himself, who directly called several Sony executives recently to ensure that "all existing agreements" are met in terms of keeping COD a multiplatform franchise at least for now, reports WCCFTech.
The Xbox head went to Twitter to deliver the good news:
Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 20, 2022
So many people were concerned about Activision's biggest games being potential Xbox exclusives in the near future, with "Call Of Duty" being the most obvious concern for gamers.
For the unaware, Microsoft just bought Activision Blizzard for what could be the biggest gaming acquisition in history: an insane $68.7 billion deal.
But while Spencer looks like he clearly wants COD to remain on PlayStation consoles, he didn't confirm which games it will be. It might very well be the more recent popular titles such as the free-to-play "Warzone," or even mainline installments like "Vanguard" or "Black Ops Cold War."
For now, the Xbox head honcho is saying that Sony PlayStation remains an important part of the gaming industry, further adding that they value their relationship with their biggest competitor, writes Eurogamer.
This news comes after Sony themselves made it clear that they want Activision Blizzard games to remain on PlayStation consoles, even after the merger.
However, a few industry analysts remain skeptical of Microsoft and Xbox's long-term plans, considering how they handled their last big acquisition in ZeniMax Media and Bethesda.
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Losing 'Call Of Duty' Could Be Financially Bad For Sony
It makes a lot of sense that Phil Spencer wants to keep the "Call Of Duty" franchise available on PlayStation, even if they basically already own the entire thing. That's because it would be really bad news for Sony in the long run.
CHIBA, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 20: An attendee walks past the PlayStation logo in the Sony Interactive Entertainment booth during the Tokyo Game Show 2018 on September 20, 2018 in Chiba, Japan. The Tokyo Game Show is held from September 20 to 23, 2018.
The first-person shooter franchise remains a massive money-maker for Sony. The latest installment, "Vanguard," was actually the best-selling game of last year on PlayStation platforms, according to CBR.
And that's not all. At close second place, as per VentureBeat, is "Black Ops: Cold War," which reportedly beat even "Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl" and "Spider-Man: Miles Morales).
This leads several analysts to estimate that Sony could lose as much as $260 million a year if "Call Of Duty" never releases on PlayStation again, as per a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Looking Ahead
Whatever happens, Xbox's recent acquisition has already put it ahead of PlayStation in their long-standing race. The addition of several high-profile studios and game franchises has shored up Microsoft's game library that Sony in no way can compete with-at least not yet.
Xbox game pass gift cards are seen in a store in Krakow, Poland on August 26, 2021
Game Pass will likely keep dominating the subscription airwaves due to the merger, writes The Verge. And that dominance will remain until PlayStation reveals their direct competitor, codenamed Spartacus, sometime soon.
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Written by RJ Pierce
