Sony doesn’t want a new Call of Duty deal with Microsoft, they “just want to block the merger”

The purchase of Activision Blizzard has become the year’s biggest drama in the world of video games, and neither Microsoft nor Sony seem willing to stop adding fuel to the fire. The latest to fan the flame has been the owner of the PlayStation brand, From whose executive director, Jim Ryan himself, some controversial statements have just been leaked in which the company removes its mask and is honest about its true intentions. “I don't want a new Call of Duty deal. I just want to block your merger”.

Bluntly. This is how Jim Ryan spoke before Microsoft and Activision during a meeting that took place in Brussels, behind closed doors and days before leaving the matter in the hands of the European Union. Ryan's words took place on February 21, 2023 and have been revealed by Lulu Cheng Meservey, executive vice president of Activision Blizzard itself. There can be no closer source. And pay attention because the executive shares even more details of the situation: “Microsoft offered Sony (the dominant console leader for well over a decade, with 80% market share) a 10-year agreement on far better terms than Sony would ever get from us. We've also offered Sony guaranteed long-term access to Call of Duty. But they keep refusing. Why?”

Of course, Jim Ryan's statements leave little room for the imagination and explain why Sony is the only one that has not wanted to make any kind of deal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles. Let's remember that Activision wanted to push Sony into signing after they announced an agreement with Nintendo, consoles where the franchise hasn’t appeared for over a decade (since Call of Duty: Ghosts for Wii U, back in 2013), and an alliance with Nvidia which guarantees that we will see all the company's games on the GeForce Now service.

Sony seems ready to fight until the end and not allow the purchase of Activision Blizzard no matter how many concessions Microsoft is willing to make in the short/medium term with the Call of Duty franchise.