Microsoft and Nintendo agreed to a 10-year deal to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo gaming platforms, signaling a willingness to share one of the game industry’s most important titles at a time of growing consolidation in the industry.
The agreement depends on Microsoft closing its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the Redmond, Washington-based company said. The duration of the deal can be further extended after the initial period and Microsoft is committed to expanding the number of platforms on which people can play games, said Xbox chief Phil Spencer. Microsoft also said it’s committed to offering Call of Duty on Valve’s Steam platform at the same time as it’s released on Xbox.
The company has extended a similar offer to Sony Group, to bring the famous Activision franchise to PlayStation consoles for a decade, but that has so far been rebuffed by the Japanese company, Spencer said. Sony has fiercely objected to the Activision acquisition, primarily because of concerns the U.S. tech giant could make content like Call of Duty exclusive to its own gaming services.