Microsoft has reportedly offered Sony the right to add Call of Duty to its PS Plus subscription service, should its bid to buy Activision Blizzard be successful.
According to a report by Bloomberg(Opens in a new tab)(via Video Games Chronicle(Opens in a new tab)), this new offer, which would bring the award-winning action shooter to the PlayStation Plus service, has been made in As well as a yet-to-be-agreed deal to keep the Call of Duty franchise on PlayStation consoles for 10 years after the acquisition. According to Bloomberg, Sony has not yet accepted this new offer.
This alleged offer features the latest in a series of efforts by Xbox Series X│S parent company to appease Sony, as well as placate skeptical regulators who rejected the €68,700 billion takeover offer. Microsoft first offered it in January 2022 and has since faced backlash and critical scrutiny from international regulators and watchdogs.
Most recently, Microsoft received a lawsuit from the US Federal Trade Committee (FTC), seeking to block the proposed acquisition. It's the biggest hurdle the company has faced in its attempts to buy Activision Blizzard and its own titles, despite Xbox boss Phil Spencer's repeated insistence that the acquisition would be "in the best interests of gamers." ".
Commitment is the key
One of the main concerns raised by Sony itself and the FTC is that by merging with Activision Blizzard, Microsoft could end up hurting the gaming industry by negatively affecting its competitor's ability to do business. The main example put forward by Sony is that flagship Activision titles like Call of Duty could be taken from the PS5 and become Xbox exclusives. One example is how upcoming Bethesda titles Starfield and Redfall have been confirmed as exclusive titles since Microsoft bought the studio's parent company ZeniMax in 2021.
Tensions have apparently been rising between Microsoft and Sony in recent weeks, with Phil Spencer saying in an interview with the Second Request podcast (opens in a new tab) that Sony's opposition to the acquisition stems from the company being "trying to protect your domain in the console." and the way they grow is by making the Xbox smaller.
"Because Sony is leading the whole conversation about why this deal shouldn't go ahead, what they're holding on to is Call of Duty," Spencer said during the interview, commenting on the franchise's distinction. . opposing the merger.
By promising Sony that it will be able to offer Call of Duty games on its PS Plus subscription service, Microsoft is stepping up its efforts to convince detractors that the proposed acquisition will benefit gamers rather than hinder them and can be trusted not to deprive to the Activision player. foundation of one of the most popular FPS franchises of all time. Nintendo has already agreed to a 10-year deal offered by Microsoft that guarantees Call of Duty will land on the Nintendo Switch if the deal goes through. Although an identical offer has been made to Sony, it has yet to be accepted.