Nintendo and Steam owner Valve Corporation have agreed to Microsoft’s 10-year Call of Duty deal, should Xbox’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard King go ahead. Xbox CEO Phil Spencer announced the news on Twitter, with Microsoft’s vice chair and president joining the conversation by urging Sony to sit down and talk.
Pressure’s on Sony to accept Microsoft’s Call of Duty deal
Microsoft’s latest move puts considerable pressure on Sony. Determined to sway regulators in the U.S., U.K., and E.U., the company has reiterated its stance that Sony’s fears, especially surrounding Call of Duty, are unfounded. This puts regulators in a peculiar position, too. Should they challenge the acquisition, Microsoft is likely to have a stronger position in court, having major platforms by its side. If Sony fails to come to an agreement before the acquisition is approved, it will miss out on a legally-binding contract altogether.
Our acquisition will bring Call of Duty to more gamers and more platforms than ever before. That’s good for competition and good for consumers. Thank you @Nintendo. Any day @Sony wants to sit down and talk, we’ll be happy to hammer out a 10-year deal for PlayStation as well. https://t.co/m1IQxdeo6n
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) December 7, 2022
Sony has yet to respond.
