The dispute between Sony and Microsoft over Call of Duty began many months ago. Although it seemed like it would never end, it has now ended. PlayStation had repeatedly rejected the agreement that Xbox had proposed to keep Activision’s Call of Duty on its consoles. Sony was waiting for regulators to stop the sale. However, that won’t happen, as the CMA wants to cooperate, and the FTC has lost.
Most regulators have endorsed the deal, and Sony had not previously signed a contract for Call of Duty. However, it has recently been announced that Microsoft and Sony reached an agreement for Call of Duty.
Microsoft and Sony have reached an agreement
According to information revealed by Xbox CEO Phil Spencer on his Twitter account, Microsoft and Sony have signed a deal.
“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. We look forward to a future where gamers worldwide will have more options to play their favorite games.”
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. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 16, 2023
On the other hand, we knew that those in Redmond had reached a ten-year agreement with Nintendo to make Call of Duty available on their consoles. In this case, it has been confirmed through Stephen Totilo of Axios on Twitter that both corporations have committed for the same period, i.e., 10 years. Consequently, this agreement would end in mid-2033.
In turn, Brad Smith also commented on his Twitter page.
“We have been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game creators, and consumers from day one of this transaction. Even once this deal is approved, we will remain committed to making sure Call of Duty is accessible to more people than ever across a broader range of platforms.”
From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. 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… https://t.co/hMWjC58wRi
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) July 16, 2023
The CMA, the only one to oppose the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard deal
The only regulatory body that has opposed the merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard is the CMA in the UK. The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) and the CMA are scheduled to meet today, July 17. At this meeting, they hope to be able to consider the application jointly submitted by all parties to adjourn these proceedings. Today, Monday, July 17, it will be decided whether the CAT accepts the desire of the CMA and Microsoft to work together to remove the barrier put in place at the end of April.
Recall that the cloud gaming business was a concern for the British regulator, despite reports from the Financial Times and Bloomberg that Microsoft will sell that sector to a third party. Now, the merger could be cleared by the end of this month or early next month, but the CMA has set a new deadline of August 29. The British authority must launch a new investigation to see if Microsoft’s remedies have convinced it.