Microsoft and Sony agree to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation
After a months-long bitter feud over the company's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft and Sony have signed an agreement to keep the multi-billion dollar Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation consoles. "We are thrilled to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer tweeted Sunday morning. "We look forward to a future where gamers around the world have more choices to play their favorite games."
The announcement comes after Microsoft on Friday defeated a last-ditch effort by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to frustrate the company's $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to grant the regulator an emergency stay of a ruling that allows the deal to continue in the United States. The UK's Markets and Competition Authority (CMA) is the latest regulator to oppose the purchase, but the watchdog and Microsoft recently agreed to put their legal battle over the deal on hold. and negotiate a compromise.
“From day one of this acquisition, we are committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers,” Microsoft President and Vice President Brad Smith tweeted. in response to Spencer's message. "Even after crossing the finish line for approval of this deal, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and to more consumers than ever before."
Spencer did not disclose the terms of Microsoft's deal with Sony, although Stephen Totilo of Axios later confirmed it was for 10 years. Microsoft first offered Sony a 10-year deal to keep Call of Duty on current and future PlayStation consoles late last year, though the Japanese electronics giant turned down the olive branch. at the time. In an effort to gain approval from regulators, including the FTC and CMA, Microsoft later signed a deal with Nintendo to bring the series to the company's future consoles. He has also made deals with cloud gaming providers like NVIDIA.
Before today, Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, made it clear that he was strongly opposed to Microsoft's Activision bid. "I don't want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block your merger," Ryan told Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. "I told him [Kotick] that I thought the deal was anti-competitive. , I was hoping the regulators would do their job and block it," Ryan later said during testimony at the FTC vs. Microsoft hearing. But with the purchase about to go ahead, Sony probably had no choice but to come to terms with its rival.
Updated at 2:57 p.m. ET
After a months-long bitter feud over the company's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft and Sony have signed an agreement to keep the multi-billion dollar Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation consoles. "We are thrilled to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer tweeted Sunday morning. "We look forward to a future where gamers around the world have more choices to play their favorite games."
The announcement comes after Microsoft on Friday defeated a last-ditch effort by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to frustrate the company's $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to grant the regulator an emergency stay of a ruling that allows the deal to continue in the United States. The UK's Markets and Competition Authority (CMA) is the latest regulator to oppose the purchase, but the watchdog and Microsoft recently agreed to put their legal battle over the deal on hold. and negotiate a compromise.
“From day one of this acquisition, we are committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers,” Microsoft President and Vice President Brad Smith tweeted. in response to Spencer's message. "Even after crossing the finish line for approval of this deal, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and to more consumers than ever before."
Spencer did not disclose the terms of Microsoft's deal with Sony, although Stephen Totilo of Axios later confirmed it was for 10 years. Microsoft first offered Sony a 10-year deal to keep Call of Duty on current and future PlayStation consoles late last year, though the Japanese electronics giant turned down the olive branch. at the time. In an effort to gain approval from regulators, including the FTC and CMA, Microsoft later signed a deal with Nintendo to bring the series to the company's future consoles. He has also made deals with cloud gaming providers like NVIDIA.
Before today, Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, made it clear that he was strongly opposed to Microsoft's Activision bid. "I don't want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block your merger," Ryan told Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. "I told him [Kotick] that I thought the deal was anti-competitive. , I was hoping the regulators would do their job and block it," Ryan later said during testimony at the FTC vs. Microsoft hearing. But with the purchase about to go ahead, Sony probably had no choice but to come to terms with its rival.
Updated at 2:57 p.m. ET
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