Will Call of Duty Be An Xbox Exclusive? Here's What the Experts Are Saying

ign.com:

The future of Call of Duty hangs in the balance following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which will bring the massively popular first person shooter series under the Xbox umbrella along with a handful of other franchises. The move is raising questions about how Microsoft will handle Activision Blizzard’s extensive list of properties – whether they will remain on platforms like PlayStation 5 or become entirely exclusive to the Xbox.

Microsoft has already shown some of its hand with the Bethesda acquisition, which was completed close to a year ago. Microsoft opted to honor Bethesda's previous deal with PlayStation, keeping Deathloop as a timed exclusive for PlayStation 5. However, Starfield, the next massive RPG from the developers of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, will be an Xbox exclusive with a day one release on Game Pass.

Right now, Activision Blizzard says it won't be removing existing games from other platforms. This means ongoing free-to-play games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Activision's battle royale title, should remain multiplatform. These comments align with those of newly-minted Microsoft Games CEO Phil Spencer, who told Bloomberg that it's not Xbox's intent to "pull communities away from [PlayStation] and we remain committed to that." Sony, for its part, says that it expects Microsoft to honor its existing contracts with Activision Blizzard.

Have you played Call of Duty: Vanguard?

Nevertheless, Microsoft controls the destiny of huge moneymakers like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, sparking debate on social media and elsewhere about where they will be playable in the future. Xbox fans, influencers, and media members alike are all weighing in on what Microsoft will