Microsoft has signed a binding agreement to keep the Call of Duty game on Sony’s PlayStation gaming consoles after the $69bn acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The agreement was announced by Xbox head Phil Spencer in a tweet.
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“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 favourite games,” Spencer’s tweet read.
According to CNBC’s report, the companies have signed the deal for ten years.
The Call of Duty series, which is among the most popular games, is developed by Activision.
Regulators from all around the world have expressed serious concerns regarding Microsoft’s potential dominance of the gaming industry if the Microsoft-Activision merger receives clearance.
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By GlobalDataMicrosoft is the maker of the Xbox gaming console, which directly competes with Sony’s PlayStation.
This has raised concerns that Microsoft could make games “exclusive” to its systems and eliminate Sony from the market following the acquisition of Activision.
In a separate tweet, Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith said: “From Day One of this acquisition, we have 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.”
The European Union cleared the deal in May and last week, Microsoft won its court battle against the US Federal Trade Commission after a judge approved the acquisition.
Meanwhile, the UK’s competition watchdog has said it is open to holding talks with Microsoft over the terms of the acquisition.
