Here's How Much Longer Call Of Duty Will Be On Playstation

It looks like Microsoft and Sony are ready to bury the hatchet when it comes to the long-running "Call of Duty" franchise, but peace could come at the expense of several other major titles. The two companies have been engaged in an intense back-and-forth for months now, engaging in a public feud that goes beyond the typical friendly competition fans have historically seen between rival gaming giants. Sony has been one of the most vocal critics against the proposed merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, raising concerns that Microsoft's acquisition could create an unfair imbalance in the gaming market. Chief among these concerns was the future of the "Call of Duty" franchise, and whether or not Microsoft would horde exclusivity rights to one of gaming's biggest franchises.

Now, it looks more certain than ever that Microsoft is about to become the owner of "Call of Duty," for all intents and purposes. The company recently won in its court battle against the FTC, which sought to block the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and it's currently working to reach amicable terms with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority for the same purpose. However, PlayStation gamers don't have to be too worried about losing out on their favorite franchise. 

In a series of announcements released on social media, the higher-ups at Xbox have confirmed that "Call of Duty' will remain on PlayStation for the foreseeable future. Not only that, but the franchise may also be coming to new platforms for the first time. Here's what we know right now about the multi-platform future of "Call of Duty," including how long the series will remain on PlayStation.

On July 16, Xbox boss Phil Spencer tweeted an announcement regarding Microsoft and Sony's agreement to allow "Call of Duty' to remain on PlayStation consoles. Though brief, the tweet confirmed that Xbox has no intentions of limiting "Call of Duty" fans to only one or two platforms. 

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.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 16, 2023

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith retweeted Spencer's comments, adding that consumers have always been at the forefront of Microsoft's business decisions. "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," Smith tweeted. 

Microsoft reps separately confirmed to The Verge that the current deal in place will allow "Call of Duty" to remain on Sony platforms for the next ten years. It's unclear what will happen with the series after that, but this appears to signal an end to the hostility between the two companies.

The fan response to these announcements has been something of a mixed bag, ranging from excited and relieved to cautiously optimistic and even downright skeptical. Part of this likely stems from how heated the two companies have been in their arguments over the course of this battle. Almost since the beginning, Microsoft has given PlayStation an informal promise that it will not immediately pull "Call of Duty" from PlayStation consoles. In fact, Microsoft has expressed interest in releasing future "Call of Duty" games for other platforms, including Nintendo Switch. Meanwhile, Sony has contended that Microsoft may pull a fast one on PlayStation by possibly releasing sabotaged versions of these games to hurt the competition. 

Now, PlayStation has a written and public promise that "Call of Duty" can proceed normally — but at what cost?

This ten-year deal between Microsoft and Sony is the result of a lengthy series of negotiations, not all of which have been pretty. During the court case between Microsoft and the FTC, it was revealed that Sony previously rejected multiple proposals from Microsoft regarding "Call of Duty" availability.

In an email shared by The Verge dated May 23, 2022, Phil Spencer told Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan that Microsoft would allow Sony to release "all existing Activision console titles on Sony, including future versions in the Call of Duty franchise or any other current Activision franchise on Sony through December 31st, 2027." This offer was rejected, partially because Jim Ryan was not impressed by the wider Activision Blizzard catalogue on offer. He noted that they were primarily older games, with one standout being that "Overwatch" was on the list, but "Overwatch 2" was not.

According to The Verge's Tom Warren, the new deal between Sony and Microsoft only accounts for "Call of Duty," so it remains to be seen what will happen to other legacy Activision Blizzard properties. For instance, despite originally launching on PlayStation, gamers may see the end of "Crash Bandicoot" releases on Sony consoles. If the merger goes through without a hitch, "Diablo 4" could end up being the final game in that franchise to make its way to PlayStation. 

The future of Activision Blizzard's wider range of titles seems uncertain, but it looks like PlayStation fans won't have to worry about losing "Call of Duty" for at least another decade.