Microsoft promises a decade of Call of Duty on Nintendo consoles
Xbox has entered an agreement with Nintendo to put Call of Duty on Nintendo devices for at least the next 10 years, Xbox head Phil Spencer announced on Twitter. The agreement comes as some, including Sony, express concern over Microsoft making the perpetually high-selling series a platform exclusive once the company’s pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes through.
“Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play,” Spencer said in the announcement. It’s also worth noting that Spencer said Nintendo in particular.
He followed with a second post that said Microsoft will also continue to provide Call of Duty on Steam after the acquisition, assuming the deal faces no serious resistance from the Federal Trade Commission, as Politico previously reported it may.
Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to @Nintendo following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King. Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play. @ATVI_AB
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) December 7, 2022
One recurring concern about the merger is that it gives Microsoft access to one of the most lucrative and prominent FPS franchises. Spencer has repeatedly said Xbox has no plans to make Call of Duty a platform-exclusive, however, and offered Sony a similar 10-year deal, which Sony rejected.
Microsoft has, so far, been upfront about which existing properties it will continue to host on multiple platforms. Minecraft, for example, remained on every available platform and mobile devices after Microsoft purchased Mojang. However, upcoming games from Xbox Studios such as Bethesda, including Starfield, will be Xbox exclusive.
The Microsoft and Activision merger still has a few hurdles to clear before any of these deals can come into effect, though, including in the U.K., where regulators are holding a second round of investigations into the acquisition before approving it.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF