Microsoft has offered Sony the opportunity to include future Call of Duty games on its PlayStation Plus subscription service on the day of release as part of its efforts to address regulators’ concerns regarding its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The offer is outlined in Microsoft’s response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) provisional findings on the deal, released last month.
The company has also pledged to sign a 10-year contract guaranteeing the release of the shooter series on PlayStation consoles after the acquisition, ensuring that “release date, content, features, upgrades, quality, and playability with the Xbox platform” across PS4, PS5, and any successor platforms.
Microsoft’s offer would allow Sony to put Call of Duty games on its subscription service at the same time and for the same duration as on the Xbox platform. However, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has raised concerns about the potential for unsustainable licensing costs that could force the company to raise prices.
According to SIE, Microsoft would have significant leverage to manipulate the price of Call of Duty on PlayStation based on the licensing fee it decides to charge, potentially leading to the commercial destruction of Sony’s multi-game subscription model. SIE alleges that this could result in Call of Duty becoming a Game Pass exclusive by default, dominating multi-game subscription services in the future.
Microsoft Says It Will Let Sony Put Call of Duty on PS Plus Day 1
Microsoft has confirmed that it intends to put future Call of Duty releases on Game Pass on the day of their release, and is willing to appoint a third-party assessor to ensure it does not deviate from its commitments over the 10-year period. While Sony has not yet accepted Microsoft’s 10-year offer, Microsoft president Brad Smith remains hopeful of reaching a deal with PlayStation.
Last month, Microsoft also signed a binding 10-year legal agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms should the Activision Blizzard deal be approved, and confirmed a 10-year partnership with Nvidia to bring its Xbox PC games to cloud gaming service GeForce Now, including Call of Duty. Microsoft has been pushed into a corner here and the only way of getting out seems to be to reassure competitors that it will not engage in anti-competition acts. Regardless, we will find out soon enough as the CMA’s final report ruling on the Activision Blizzard deal is due by April 26.