Xbox Chief Says ‘Call of Duty’ Will Remain on PlayStation

Nathan Crooks, Bloomberg News

Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare video game and Microsoft's Xbox One video game controller arranged in Denver, Colorado, U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. Microsoft Corp. agreed to buy Activision Blizzard Inc. in a $68.7 billion deal, uniting two of the biggest forces in video games to create the world’s third-biggest gaming company. Photographer: Michael Ciaglo/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- PlayStation fans will still be able to play the famed ‘Call of Duty’ franchise on the Sony gaming platform even after the proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc. by the parent of rival Xbox, Microsoft Corp.’s head of gaming said on Thursday.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer offered the assurance after speaking to Sony executives, saying that the company intends to honor all of Activision Blizzard’s existing agreements after the acquisition, including keeping the game on PlayStation.

“Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship,” he said in a post on Twitter.

Sony shares plummeted 13% in Tokyo on Wednesday after Microsoft said it would spend $69 billion to buy Activision and its portfolio of big-name games which also includes ‘Diablo’, ‘World of Warcraft’ and ‘Candy Crush Saga’.

A Sony spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that it expected Microsoft to abide by contractual agreements and ensure that Activision games remain available on various platforms.

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