There’s been much scrutiny regarding Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard from regulatory bodies worldwide — to the point where specific concessions might happen before the deal finalizes.
According to Reuters, Microsoft might offer Sony a 10-year licensing deal to appease the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s concerns regarding ownership of Activision Blizzard. The report didn’t provide insight into what that deal entails, but many believe it’s related to Call of Duty‘s potential Xbox exclusivity. Since the beginning, Xbox head Phil Spenser has been adamant that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
“Sony, as the industry leader, says it is worried about Call of Duty, but we’ve said we are committed to making the same game available on the same day on both Xbox and PlayStation. We want people to have more access to games, not less,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters.
Sony has been challenging Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard for months. PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan called an initial Call of Duty offer “inadequate on many levels” for PS4 and PS5 owners. Microsoft when suggested that regulators sided with Sony over the current deal.
Last week, a report from Politico claimed that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) might file an antitrust lawsuit to block Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard purchase. As of this post, the FTC has yet to make an announcement regarding any of these assertions.
Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2‘s recent successes show Call of Duty is still plenty popular, due in part to the series’ multiplatform nature.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
