Microsoft Enters "Binding Agreement" With Sony To Keep Call of Duty on PlayStation

By Jamie Lovett

Sony and Microsoft have signed a binding agreement that will Call of Duty games on PlayStation consoles even after Microsoft completes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, a deal that cleared a major hurdle last week when it won approval despite the FTC's attempt to block the merger. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced the deal on Sunday morning via Twitter. He tweeted, "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 president Brad Smith added, "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."

What does the Microsoft and Sony deal mean?

This agreement between Microsoft and Sony addresses one of the key criticisms of the Activision Blizzard deal, which is that it would make the Call of Duty franchise, which has one of the biggest player bases in the industry, exclusive to a single console. Though Microsoft never specifically announced plans to keep Call of Duty on Xbox consoles exclusively, it was considered a reasonable assumption since Microsoft quickly made Bethesda Softworks' upcoming releases, including the highly-anticipated sci-fi RPG Starfield, exclusive to Xbox and Windows after acquiring the studio in 2021.

Neither Microsoft nor Sony have revealed the specific details of the deal, such as how long it will remain in effect. Microsoft has deals in place with Nintendo and other cloud gaming services concerning the Call of Duty franchise. Those deals span 10 years.

Call of Duty to continue on PlayStation

Sony signing this deal seems to signal the end of its attempt to prevent Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard, the studio that makes Call of Duty. Microsoft approached Sony with a 10-year deal for Call of Duty in December 2022. Sony rejected it and instead brought its fears of Call of Duty becoming an Xbox exclusive or receiving poor PlayStation versions of Call of Duty games to the FTC.

Publicly, Microsoft has maintained that it would keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles for years after the Activision Blizzard acquisition went through. Court filings revealed skepticism on the part of Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan after being presented with a list of Activision games that would remain available on PlayStation that he claimed were mostly old and irrelevant titles. 

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