Will Microsoft make Call of Duty an Xbox, PC exclusive? PS5 owners have reason to fear after game-changing Activision Blizzard deal

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Games from the Call of Duty videogame series have long been released on platforms including PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Nintendo, but that could change after Microsoft’s US$69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Published: 12:45pm, 21 Jan 2022

If you own a PlayStation, how worried should you be that the company behind the rival Xbox could soon own one of the industry’s biggest games?

Microsoft’s announcement Tuesday that it planned to buy Activision Blizzard – the video game publisher behind Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and other flagship franchises – stirred some concerns on social media over whether Call of Duty would remain on PlayStation platforms if the deal is cleared.

The deal, which is expected to close no later than June 2023, would give the tech giant another trove of video game properties to bolster the Xbox as well as its Game Pass subscription service.

The announced deal comes two months after reports surfaced that Microsoft was evaluating its relationship with Activision Blizzard following allegations its CEO, Bobby Kotick, knew for years about sexual misconduct claims at the company.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick in 2019. Photo: AFP

And as gamers pondered, it could also deliver a significant setback to PlayStation maker Sony if the acquisition is approved.