According to reports, Microsoft has signed a “binding 10-year legal agreement” to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms.
Should its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard be approved, the Xbox company’s previously announced commitments – now apparently legally binding – include releasing future Call of Duty games “with full feature and content parity” on the same day as Xbox.
“We are committed to providing long-term equal access to Call of Duty to other gaming platforms, providing more choice to more players and increasing competition in the gaming market,” the company stated in a statement.
The most recent Call of Duty game released on a Nintendo system was the Wii U version of Call of Duty: Ghosts, which was released in 2013 and allowed players to aim with motion controls using a Wii Remote.
The announcement coincides with an EU hearing scheduled for later Tuesday in which Microsoft will defend itself in front of antitrust officials after receiving objections to the $69 billion deal. Call of Duty has emerged as the most contentious issue among regulators scrutinizing Microsoft’s proposed acquisition.
We’ve now signed a binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers. This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms. pic.twitter.com/JmO0hzw1BO
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) February 21, 2023
Despite Microsoft’s pledge to offer Sony a ten-year agreement similar to Nintendo’s, regulators have expressed concerns about the impact Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal may have on PlayStation’s ability to compete, given that the merger would see Microsoft gain ownership of the Call of Duty series.
Sony Interactive Entertainment alleges that if the deal were to go through, “Microsoft would have the ability and incentive to exclude or restrict rivals, including PlayStation and PlayStation Plus, from having access to Call of Duty”.
“A significant number of PlayStation users would likely switch to Xbox and/or Game Pass in the medium term,” it said.
“With less competition, Microsoft would be able to: raise Xbox console and game prices (including those who switched from PlayStation); raise Game Pass prices; and reduce innovation and quality.”
Microsoft told Politico last week that it was committed to “finding a path forward” for the deal in response to the EU’s recent statement of objections. “We are carefully listening to the European Commission’s concerns and are confident that we will be able to address them,” a spokesperson said.
