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Sony has responded to Microsoft's proposal to buy a company that makes games like Call of Duty with a comment on what that might mean for the future games. The Wall Street Journal quotes a person who says they expect Microsoft to abide by contractual agreements.
The statement is not definitive. When Deathloop was released for the PS5 console, Sony expected Microsoft to honor any existing contractual agreements. It opens the door for Microsoft to get exclusive rights to the many franchises it is acquiring.
Will Call of Duty be exclusive to the Xbox?
There is a big question about Call of Duty. Sony has a marketing deal with Call of Duty's publisher, Activision, for more than five years. Andrew House, the former CEO of Sony's PlayStation, declared during the E3 2015 press briefing that the console is the new home of Call of Duty. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was the second most played PS5 game for the whole of 2021, behind only Fortnite. The impact of Call of Duty on the market was highlighted by the fact that it secured both of the top spots for US game sales for the whole of 2021.
Sony will be powerless over Call of Duty's long-term future on the PS if Microsoft's deal closes. Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft gaming, said that The Elder Scrolls VI will be an Xbox exclusive.
Spencer said earlier this week that they plan to support those communities moving forward. It is easy to imagine a future where Microsoft keeps Call of Duty: Warzone on multiple platforms, but the games are exclusive to the Xbox. Microsoft isn't spending $68.7 billion to keep publishing games.
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