Microsoft and Sony have finally sealed a deal that gamers worldwide have been waiting for with bated breath. Call of Duty games will still be on PlayStation for at least another 10 years. While the amount of cash exchanged has yet to be shared, we know that this deal covers all Call of Duty games, Warzone included. PlayStation fans can finally stop worrying and let out a cheer.
Related: Is Modern Warfare 2 Cross-Platform?
PlayStation and Xbox Agreed for Call of Duty Games
Since Microsoft let slip that they were planning to buy Activision Blizzard, everyone’s been asking what will happen to the COD series. Given the big deal, it looked like Xbox might keep future Call of Duty games just for themselves. But that’s not what happened — Sony and Microsoft agreed to keep the game on PlayStation for another 10 years.
The Xbox boss, Phil Spencer, announced the deal on Twitter but didn’t share how much money was involved. Still, we reckon Xbox didn’t give up the Call of Duty rights without a severe payday. The shooter series is super important in the race between consoles, especially in North America, and it will be available on both PlayStation and Xbox for a bit longer.
Here’s what Phil Spencer said about it:
We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choices to play their favourite games.
Phil Spencer – Xbox Game Studios
After Microsoft’s big buy, all of Activision’s Call of Duty games will become part of Xbox Game Studios. That’s why this new deal is so important. Thanks to this, all the old and new games will stay on PlayStation consoles until the last day of 2027.
Related: 5 Best Xbox Game Studios Microsoft Owns
What Happened Earlier: Microsoft and Xbox Acquire Activision Blizzard
Last year, Microsoft turned the gaming world on its head when they officially confirmed that they’d snapped up Activision Blizzard, the famed studio behind game titans like Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft, to name a few.
In a blog post, Xbox boss Phil Spencer spilt the beans to outpace the rumour mill. So, it was official — in a massive coup, Xbox had welcomed Call of Duty games, Diablo, Overwatch and all of Activision Blizzard’s other franchises into their fold.
The deal set Microsoft back a staggering $68.7 billion, making the $7.5 billion they spent acquiring Bethesda in 2020 look like chump change. For a bit of perspective, this outlay was over five times the nearly $13 billion Take-Two Interactive shelled out for Zynga just a week prior in what was then dubbed the priciest acquisition in gaming history.
The companies that join Xbox Game Studios with this deal are:
- Activision Publishing
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Beenox
- Demonware
- Digital Legends
- High Moon Studios
- Infinity Ward
- King
- Major League Gaming
- Radical Entertainment
- Raven Software
- Sledgehammer Games
- Toys for Bob
- Treyarch
Although Call of Duty games come to the fore among the projects owned by the above studios, the Blizzard side should not be forgotten. Especially after the success of Diablo 4, Xbox once again seems to have taken an essential series under its wing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Blizzard Own Activision?
No — Activision and Blizzard were separate studios until they tied the knot in 2008 and created the gaming behemoth we now know as Activision Blizzard. However, there wasn’t a case of one studio owning the other. This may be a moot point in the grand scheme of things, as Microsoft’s acquisition initiated in 2022 is set to wrap up soon, putting both studios under its ownership.
Who Owns Call of Duty Games?
The Call of Duty franchise, which kicked off in 2003, is the work of several studios under the Activision banner. The critical trio crafting these titles include Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software. With the Microsoft deal, however, the reins of the Call of Duty series will be handed over to Xbox Game Studios, a.k.a. Microsoft.
How Many Call of Duty Games Are There?
21 — there are 21 games in total in the Call of Duty series. We count Warzone and Warzone 2 among them because they are also considered main games. Apart from these 21 games, many other mobile and free-to-play games exist. The latest game in the main series, Modern Warfare 2, reboots, but rumours about MW3 are already circulating.
Author Profile
- My journey into the world of video games began at four, when I was first introduced to arcade machines in 1996. Over the past decades, I've been fortunate enough to witness the incredible evolution of gaming, as it has grown from a niche hobby to a thriving art. Today, I'm dedicated to creating content that celebrates all genres of games. We will talk about them at Player.me.
