Microsoft has been making some notable moves lately to acquire studios and IPs. One of the bigger purchases came in the form of ZeniMax Media. This allowed Microsoft to add Bethesda, id Software, Arkane Studios, MachineGames, and Tango Gameworks, among others, under its umbrella. But that wasn’t enough for Microsoft as they made some headlines when they unveiled their acquisition deal bid for Activision Blizzard. For nearly $70 billion, Microsoft would like to see Activision Blizzard and its line of IPs land under their exclusivity. Although, that has sparked plenty of pushback from different regulators from Microsoft progressing forward with this purchase.
The pushback is mainly over one particular IP, and that’s Call of Duty. Sony is not wanting to see this game franchise fall under being a complete exclusive for Microsoft’s Xbox platform. That’s what has caused so many obstacles in Microsoft’s path to secure this purchase. In fact, there were talks about seeing this game franchise also land on competitor platforms for the next few years. While Nintendo and Valve’s Steam were given contracts to ensure Call of Duty would land on their platforms for the next ten years if this deal went through, Sony wasn’t keen on the idea.
Now there is a fight for Microsoft to endure in hopes of acquiring Activision Blizzard. One of the big hearings will be taking place this month. Reuters was able to confirm from a Microsoft spokesperson that there is a hearing from the European Commission. February 21, 2023, there will be a closed hearing taking place where Microsoft will attempt to sway the deal in its favor. However, there’s no telling just if this deal will actually go through or not.
At the very least, it seems that Microsoft is still pushing on with the purchase and will likely have to make a few deals to ensure the purchase goes through. What those deals or compromises end up being is anyone’s guess for now. Although we’ll hopefully hear some official news on the matter soon after the hearing comes to an end. Whether that’s news of Microsoft going through with the acquisition or if this is confirmation that the deal will fall apart, leaving Call of Duty, among other IPs from Activision Blizzard, to be developed across multiple platforms.
