Microsoft

Call of Duty’s launch on Xbox Game Pass will be “restricted” by their deal with Sony

Microsoft hints that titles from the Call of Duty franchise may not release in their subscription service even when the acquisition is completed.

Update: Oct 19th, 2022 14:05 EDT

Activision Blizzard’s acquisition by Microsoft could become a very melodramatic plot for a Netflix series. The massively expensive multimillion dollar operation has been under thorough investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority, a UK regulator in favor of fair business between companies. After a particularly unfavorable update, the Redmond based company has criticized the contents of the document and has revealed a curious detail: Sony and Activision Blizzard’s previous deal will limit Xbox, resulting in them not being able to launch any Call of Duty games on Xbox Game Pass without restrictions.

A footnote in the document makes reference to one of Phil Spencer’s tweets, in which he alludes that they’ll respect “previous deals”. The US tech giant pointed out that this contract will limit the launching of any games of the series in the service: “The agreement between Activision Blizzard and Sony includes restrictions on the ability of Activision Blizzard to place Call of Duty titles on Game Pass for a number of years.”

Microsoft isn't happy with the UK's CMA regulator over its Activision Blizzard acquisition comments. It describes the regulator's concerns as "misplaced" and that it "adopts Sony’s complaints without considering the potential harm to consumers" 👀 🧵 1/3 pic.twitter.com/nIWuVqyvSW
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) October 12, 2022

Microsoft is not happy with the report

Employees in Microsoft have said that these “baseless theories” do not justify a Phase 2 of the investigation. “The suggestion that the incumbent market leader, with clear and enduring market power, could be foreclosed by the third largest provider as a result of losing access to one title is not credible.”

According to the US tech giant, even though Sony “maybe wont welcome a larger competition,” the Japanese based company has the capacity to adapt and compete. Xbox’s parent company has also said that PlayStation has been performing the usual tactics of a market leader, such as raising the prices of their consoles, “without fear of losing market share.”

Source | VGC