Sony Submits – Sony signs a deal with Microsoft to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation

Microsoft and Sony have signed a “binding agreement” that will keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles

Update – Sony has confirmed that their agreement with Microsoft will last for ten years and their their agreement only applies to Call of Duty. This agreement does not apply to any other Activision Blizzard titles. 

Below is our original article.

Microsoft and Sony have confirmed that they have signed a “binding agreement” that will keep the Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation consoles following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsoft’s expected to close its acquisition of Activision Blizzard very soon, placing all of the company’s IP in the hands of Xbox. 

Before now, Sony were strongly opposed to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and would not sign any agreements with Microsoft. Sony’s Jim Ryan even so far as to say this to Activision’s CEO Bobby Kotick in February 2023. 

I don’t want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block your merger.

Sony have now given up their attempts to block Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, having failed to get regulators on their side in the EU, US and UK. While the UK’s Competition and Market’s Authority (CMA) have not approved the acquisition, their blocking of the deal was due to concerns about the emerging cloud gaming market, not how the acquisition would impact Sony and the console gaming market. 

With Sony failing to convince regulators to block the acquisition, the company’s best option is now to sign a deal with Microsoft before the acquisition closes to ensure that Call of Duty, Activation’s largest franchise, remains on their PlayStation platform.

Sadly, the details of Microsoft’s agreement with Sony are unknown, and we cannot confirm if it is a 10-year deal like what Microsoft has made with Nintendo, Valve (Steam), and other companies. 

By signing their new deal with Microsoft. Sony has secured Call of Duty’s future on PlayStation. At this time it is unknown if this agreement will cover other major Activision Blizzard franchises like Diablo and Overwatch, though it is likely that there is more to this deal than simply keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation.  

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