Xbox Wouldn't Shoot Itself in the Foot by Yanking Call of Duty Off PS5, Says EU | Push Square
A big point of contention over Microsoft’s stumbling $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is whether Call of Duty becoming exclusive would negatively impede PlayStation’s ability to compete in the console space.
While regulators have, ultimately, determined cloud streaming is a larger issue – specifically in the UK where the deal has been blocked, but also in Europe where remedies have been enforced – it does remain a topic of conversation.
Specifically, in a speech this week, the European Commission's executive vice president Margrethe Vestager commented on the prospect of Call of Duty becoming an exclusive should the acquisition close. “I’m told Call of Duty is a very popular shooter franchise, but we found that Microsoft would probably not shoot itself in the foot by stopping sales of Call of Duty games to the much larger PlayStation player base,” she explained.
To be fair, Microsoft has offered PlayStation a ten year commitment to continue releasing the franchise on PS5, PS4, and any subsequent systems the Japanese giant may release throughout the course of the contract.
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