Xbox's Acquisition of Call of Duty Giant Sparks Worries among PlayStation Players
Following the UK's approval of Xbox's purchase of the world's largest publisher, PlayStation fans have expressed concerns about the future of their favorite games.
Just hours after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gave the green light for the deal to proceed, Xbox announced that the acquisition has been finalized.
Xbox Now Controls Call of Duty and Other Popular Games
With the completion of the acquisition, Xbox now owns the rights to Call of Duty and several other highly popular games.
Microsoft, the parent company of Xbox, possesses a diverse range of gaming studios, which has enabled them to develop numerous exclusive titles.
While some studios acquired by Microsoft continue to produce games for multiple platforms, the same cannot be said for all of them.
Concerns Arise Following Bethesda Acquisition
One prime example of this is Bethesda, which was purchased by Microsoft in 2021. As a result, the highly anticipated game Starfield was exclusively released on Xbox and Windows, leaving PlayStation owners unable to play it.
Activision Blizzard, the company being acquired by Xbox, is a major publisher that owns several renowned studios and gaming properties.
Under the Activision Blizzard umbrella, popular titles such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Candy Crush fall.
Xbox Reassures Players on All Platforms
Despite concerns, Xbox has reassured players on all platforms that they will continue to release Activision Blizzard titles on every gaming system.
In a blog post, Xbox stated, "Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn't where you play your favorite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win. We believe our news today will unlock a world of possibilities for more ways to play."
Hesitation Remains as Microsoft's Past Actions Are Remembered
However, previous instances of Microsoft making promises and then altering their decisions closer to a game's release have left some skeptical.
For now, players on other consoles can only hope that Microsoft stays true to their word.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
