PlayStation isn’t happy with Xbox’s Call of Duty exclusivity plans
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan isn’t thrilled with Microsoft’s plans for Call of Duty exclusivity.
In a statement provided to GamesIndustry.biz, Ryan has called Xbox’s assurances for future multiplatform releases “inadequate on many levels,” sharing details that had not previously been public.
According to Ryan, Microsoft has assured Sony it will honor the company’s existing agreement with Activision, and then commit to releasing Call of Duty titles on PlayStation for three years after it expires.
Earlier this week, Xbox division head Phil Spencer told The Verge that Microsoft had committed to releasing Call of Duty on PlayStation for “several more years,” with “feature and content parity” between the versions. Those remarks followed similar but less specific assurances Xbox made in February. Spencer’s latest comments apparently prompted Ryan’s response.
“I hadn’t intended to comment on what I understood to be a private business discussion, but I feel the need to set the record straight because Phil Spencer brought this into the public forum,” Ryan said.
“Microsoft has only offered for Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends. After almost 20 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation, their proposal was inadequate on many levels and failed to take account of the impact on our gamers. We want to guarantee PlayStation gamers continue to have the highest quality Call of Duty experience, and Microsoft’s proposal undermines this principle.”
What we don’t know in all this is how long the current contract between Activision and PlayStation extends—and therefore when the three year timer would kick in. Based on previous statements, The Verge speculated the deal might expire in 2024, meaning Call of Duty could stop releasing on PlayStation as soon as 2027.
Next up for the franchise—and definitely coming to PlayStation—is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, due out October 28th. It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
