CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer has confirmed that future Call of Duty titles will be part of Game Pass, but still come to PlayStation on the same day of release.
As the purchase of publisher Activision Blizzard by Microsoft continues forward, more details regarding how the new catalog of IP that Xbox will inherit will be handled are coming to light. The most notable part of the deal in the console space concerns the massive Call of Duty franchise, which has been a mainstay on bestselling games lists for over a decade straight. Sony previously had the marketing rights to the series before the purchase was set in motion, and recently made statements arguing that Xbox making the series exclusive would influence console purchasing decisions.
In a blog post addressing regulation concerns over the acquisition, Spencer confirmed that Call of Duty will be available on Game Pass once the deal goes through. “We intend to make Activision Blizzard’s much-loved library of games — including Overwatch, Diablo and Call of Duty — available in Game Pass and to grow those gaming communities,” he says in the post.
Spencer went on to echo Microsoft’s promise that Call of Duty won’t become an Xbox exclusive, writing “as we’ve said before, we are committed to making the same version of Call of Duty available on PlayStation on the same day the game launches elsewhere.”
Spencer the points to the company’s success keeping Minecraft not only playable on other consoles but including cross-play functionality as well.
He closes his statement by stating that he and his team will continue to cooperate with regulators and remain transparent about all aspects of the acquisition, even shouting out Sony as an industry leader, and aims to prove that this purchase will benefit players.
While PlayStation owners will no doubt be pleased to know that future entries in the Call of Duty series will not be made exclusive to Xbox, the fact that it will be included in Game Pass is still a massive boon to the service that could very well sway some purchasing decisions in the future.