In a surprise announcement by Xbox head Phil Spencer, Microsoft recently signed a deal with Nintendo to bring "Call of Duty" games to its consoles and platforms in a contract spanning ten years. This announcement is unexpected by the gaming industry, especially as people have been requesting to make the action shooter franchise available to Nintendo for a long time now.

As Activision Blizzard is moving closer to its merger with Microsoft, the decision came from the Redmond-based company's decision to make it available, also extending its distribution contract for Valve's Steam.

Nintendo Consoles to Soon Get 'Call of Duty' Thanks to Microsoft

(Photo : Activision)

The Xbox and Microsoft Gaming CEO took the liberty of announcing one of the most massive changes in "Call of Duty" history, and it is its availability to Nintendo consoles in the future.

This deal for Nintendo is a 10-year commitment to having the rights to run "COD" games on its platforms, including the Switch. It is known that earlier iterations of "Call of Duty" were available on older consoles Nintendo, including the Wii and DS, but not for its modern releases.

However, there are no announcements yet on what is coming for the Nintendo Switch, especially if it would receive the current titles like "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II" and "Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0," or future releases.

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Xbox's Phil Spencer Also Announces COD's Steam Extension

 
On the other hand, Spencer also went massive to add another note for the "Call of Duty" franchise, one which extends its distribution contract with Valve's Steam platform for gamers to access. It means that gamers may buy and launch "COD" games via Steam, with previous fears that it would no longer offer the titles in the future.

These decisions would solidify once Activision Blizzard and Microsoft push through with their acquisition.

The 'Call of Duty' Franchise and Activision Blizzard

"Call of Duty's" franchise is seeing massive fame at this time, as it recently released its back-to-back games including the remake of the 2009 top-grossing title, "Modern Warfare 2," and its battle royale "Warzone 2.0."

It also comes at a crucial time for the company, especially with regards to the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard King acquisition currently in the works, but has not yet been completed due to several investigations regarding the antitrust.

However, one thing is clear now, and it is Microsoft has a full intent to acquire the famous games and entertainment company, and take on its famous titles under its wing.

The companies are already finalizing their papers and merger, with Microsoft already making plans for the future of "Call of Duty" among other platforms even before the deal becomes official.

Still, it is massive news for gamers, especially as it will make a return for Nintendo consoles that will be able to run and play Activision Blizzard's famous first-person shooter title soon.

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