In its latest argument against Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard purchase, Sony harkened back to Microsoft’s earlier offer to keep Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard games on the PlayStation platform until 2027. Sony explains that the deal on the table will guarantee that the PS6 will launch without having access to Activision Blizzard’s treasure trove of popular titles. The world’s biggest gaming company claims that this will influence gamers to jump platforms and get an Xbox instead, which can have a negative impact on the competitive integrity of the market. Despite the portion of the filing being redacted, we can assume that the PS6 will launch by 2028. It’s worth noting that PlayStation CEO, Jim Ryan, previously called out Microsoft’s original offer for being “inadequate on many levels”. It’s possible that the new document is referring to the same offer. But, at the same time, Microsoft Gaming CEO, Phil Spencer, recently mentioned that it’s willing to commit to a ten-year deal to keep Activision Blizzard games on PlayStation platforms. If we believe Spencer, Activision Blizzard’s games, including Call of Duty, will be available on the PlayStation 6 and maybe even the PlayStation 7.
♬ Epic Music(863502) - Draganov89 As the best-selling video game franchise of the past two decades, who gets Call of Duty is a big deal. Sony goes as far as to claim that giving Microsoft the reigns to Activision Blizzard could lead to price hikes across the entire gaming industry. For what it’s worth, Spencer is adamant that Microsoft sees Call of Duty like Minecraft and it wants the game on several platforms, including the Nintendo Switch. Of course, such words in these negotiations carry little weight until both parties put pen to paper and sign an agreement. It’ll be interesting to see what else we’ll find out about Sony and Microsoft as the regulatory scrutiny of the massive acquisition continues. Speaking of, Microsoft and Sony are bringing other names into the mix as the companies attempt to push their arguments further. In Microsoft’s case, it’s saying Call of Duty isn’t the only lucrative venture in the space, citing GTA 6 and its potential release date. On the other hand, Sony effectively dragged the value of the Battlefield franchise down by saying it can’t compete with Call of Duty despite all of its efforts.
