Microsoft has bought Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. This merger has added several first-party studios and IPs like Call of Duty to Xbox, opening up opportunities for new content and exclusivity.
However, Phil Spencer confirms that exclusivity will not be applied to the Call of Duty franchise. According to the Xbox boss, this franchise will continue to deliver the same content across all platforms.
Why it matters: In the past, Call of Duty has had a marketing deal with Xbox and PlayStation at different points, resulting in exclusive content, cosmetics, and more.
Phil Spencer on Call of Duty: He confirms that there will be 100% parity on content for Call of Duty on all platforms
“We have no goal of somehow using Call of Duty to get you to buy an Xbox console.”
Confirms there won’t be a platform exclusive beta anymore for Call of Duty. pic.twitter.com/xxEJQj5edn
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) October 17, 2023
During the latest episode of the Xbox podcast, Phil Spencer assured Call of Duty fans on other platforms that this deal would not harm their experience. He stated:
“We have no goal of somehow trying to use Call of Duty to get you to buy an Xbox console.”
He further pointed out that Xbox wants to support the Call of Duty nation all across the platform. Phil also addressed the recent timed-exclusive Modern Warfare 3 beta for PlayStation.
The Xbox boss is aware that these things can upset hardcore fans on different platforms. Therefore, it appears timed-exclusive betas will no longer be a thing for the franchise moving forward.
Phil Spencer confirmed that the franchise won’t receive special maps, skins, or other content exclusive to Xbox players since the gaming giant hopes to provide as much parity as possible. However, some differences are inevitable due to hardware differences.
We believe this is an excellent initiative from Phil Spencer. Prior to the deal’s approval, Call of Duty’s appeal was a massive point of contention for all parties involved, with Microsoft promising to keep the franchise available across all platforms.
Therefore, the statements imply that Phil Spencer intends to keep the promises made over the last few months.
Apart from Call of Duty exclusivity, the Xbox boss addressed the eventual arrival of Activision releases on Xbox Game Pass. He confirmed that this would not happen before 2024 due to the regulatory issues in recent months.
Nonetheless, this is a good move from Phil Spencer. Microsoft is no longer focused on its console exclusively and hopes to grow as an ecosystem. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that even players on rival platforms are satisfied with the gaming giant’s offerings.
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[News Reporter]
Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.
