Microsoft and Sony sign deal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles

techcrunch.com:

Microsoft and Sony signed an agreement to bring Call of Duty games to PlayStation consoles. As a reminder, Microsoft offered to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. And yet, 18 months after the announcement, that acquisition hasn’t closed as several competition regulators have been concerned about the consequences on the gaming market.

That’s why today’s deal between Sony and Microsoft is an important milestone in this M&A saga. “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,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wrote on Twitter.

“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 more platforms and for more consumers than ever before,” Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith also wrote on Twitter.

Regulators have been concerned that Microsoft would only release Activision Blizzard titles on Xbox consoles (and potentially PCs) after the merger. In February, Microsoft signed a 10-year deal with Nintendo to bring Xbox games to Nintendo consoles, including Call of Duty games.

Shortly after that, the company also announced 10-year agreements with cloud gaming services, such as GeForce Now and Boosteroid. While the European Commission approved the merger, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the acquisition due to concerns for the cloud gaming market