Microsoft will sell Activision Blizzard streaming rights to Ubisoft
Microsoft has agreed to sell the streaming rights for Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft if completes its $68.7bn takeover of the Call of Duty publisher.
The move is a major change to Microsoft's plans, but one it clearly feels is necessary to get the deal approved by hesitant UK regulators.
If the deal is now approved, streaming rights for all new Activision Blizzard PC and console games released over the next 15 years will be given to Ubisoft — with those rights then existing in perpetuity.
In other words, if Microsoft owns Activision then the next 15 years of Call of Duty games will forever be streamable via Ubisoft's cloud services.
Microsoft president Brad Smith states that this change means Microsoft won't control the «exclusive» rights to stream Activision Blizzard games.
«Under the restructured transaction, Microsoft will not be in a position either to release Activision Blizzard games exclusively on its own cloud streaming service — Xbox Cloud Gaming — or to exclusively control the licensing terms of Activision Blizzard games for rival services,» Smith wrote today in a blog post setting out the change.
Ubisoft will be able to license the games to a range of other cloud gaming and subscription services, and pay Microsoft for the rights to each title via a «one-off payment» and «an option that supports pricing based on usage».
The Ubisoft+ lineup is expanding!
We're excited to announce a new agreement that will bring Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft+ via streaming upon the completion of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard!
We’ll also be licensing the games to a range of cloud streaming… pic.twitter.com/sZTnEFJedC
Microsoft's growth and perceived dominance in the game-streaming market proved
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