Will Call of Duty stay on PlayStation after Microsoft’s Activision buyout?
After the huge news about Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision, PlayStation players are wondering what will happen with future Call of Duty releases. Fortunately, Microsoft have been very clear on their plans to keep CoD on PlayStation.
After the news broke about Microsoft’s purchase of Activision, PlayStation players were immediately concerned they would lose Call of Duty. Since acquiring Bethesda, premium games such as Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 will be Xbox and PC-exclusive, so Sony fans expected the worst for Call of Duty’s future.
Fortunately, Microsoft has been clear in their desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the buyout, and have shed more light on how this will affect the franchise.
Call of Duty remains on PlayStation after Xbox buyout
Xbox’s Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, has confirmed several times that Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation following the acquisition. Further, the Xbox CEO also confirmed that they intend on honoring all existing agreements that Sony has with Call of Duty.
On September 1, 2022, Spencer stated that Microsoft is “committed to making the same version of Call of Duty available on PlayStation on the same day the game launches elsewhere.” Microsoft President Brad Smith reiterated that “We want people to have more access to games, not less.”
So, it sounds like PlayStation players won’t see much change when the deal goes through, as they’ll get the exact same Call of Duty as Xbox players on the same day.
This stays true to what Microsoft previously stated. A February 9 Microsoft blog post reaffirmed their commitment to providing PlayStation owners with new Call of Duty titles in the years to come. Microsoft confirmed that they have no intention to undermine opportunities for PlayStation users with Xbox-exclusive CoD titles.
Microsoft stated that they will continue to develop Call of Duty games for all platforms beyond the existing agreements in place. “We have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love,” explained Smith.
Plus, following Sony’s concerns that Call of Duty would become Xbox exclusive after the acquisition, they claimed it “would not be profitable” to remove CoD from PlayStation.
Whether Xbox players will receive benefits such as bonus Double XP weekends and Combat Packs remains to be seen, but they’ll be glad to know that Call of Duty is heading to Xbox Game Pass once the deal closes.
Image Credit: Activision / Sony