Sony is Worried Call of Duty Might Make Gamers Pick Xbox Over PlayStation

Microsoft is currently in the process to acquire Activision Blizzard. However, there are significant hurdles that must be cleared before the deal can go ahead. Before the deal can be approved, it must clear several regulatory agencies around the globe. Other companies in the videogame industry were asked to make statements about the effects Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard has on their businesses. Sony used the opportunity to express its concerns regarding the Call of Duty franchise.

If everything goes according to plan and Microsoft purchases Activision Blizzard, it will now have complete control of the Call of Duty brand. Call of Duty is easily the most beloved video game franchise of all time. Microsoft suggested that Call of Duty would continue to be a multiplatform franchise, even if Activision Blizzard is acquired. However, it appears that Sony is still concerned about it as shown by the statement it made to the Brazilian government.

Sony thinks Call of Duty may impact consumer choice when it is time to buy a new console. If Call of Duty has an Xbox exclusive, then fans of the franchise might choose an Xbox instead of a PS5. Microsoft has shifted away from console exclusives as a way to compete for consumer dollars in recent years and now sells subscriptions to Xbox Game Pass.

Sony is not just making smoke about Call of Duty. It has also secured exclusive deals that have allowed it to appeal to the fans of the franchise, such as  Some Call of Duty content has been PlayStation-exclusive in recent years, with some game modes only being available on PS4 and PS5 for upwards of a year in some cases. These deals are made by Sony to convince Call of Duty users to buy the PlayStation version.

Sony has been working closely with Activision for many years in Call of Duty. However, Microsoft used to get the exclusive content for Xbox. There was once a time when Call of Duty would launch first on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, but those deals eventually went to PlayStation. This shows that Microsoft has seen value in securing Call of Duty content exclusively for Xbox. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft keeps its promise to keep the franchise multi-platform.