The next three Call of Duty titles will still release on PlayStation, according to a recent article published by Bloomberg. Players are still reeling from the announcement that Microsoft had acquired Activision Blizzard, with the moral status of the latter company still being held under heavy scrutiny. However, there are those that are excited to see what potential the Xbox brand can offer franchises like Overwatch and World of Warcraft.
Out of all the games in Activision’s library, however, Call of Duty remains the company’s crown jewel. The series has seen major success with every yearly release of a new title, and with the new deal between Microsoft and Activision ready to take shape, several facets of the fanbase have had questions as to what lies in store for the future of the series, particularly in the realm of eSports.
However, in a recently released article from Bloomberg, insiders are claiming that the next three titles in the Call of Duty series will honor their previous agreements with Sony and release on PlayStation consoles. The first of these titles are slated to release later this year, and being developed by Infinity Ward, the team behind the Modern Warfare sub-series, with the following year’s game to be by Treyarch, the team responsible for Black Ops.
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This announcement comes off the heels of Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer stating that Microsoft has been having meetings with Sony on how to move forward with this series on both platforms, stating that “Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.” Spencer has also been vocal recently about the gaming industry and his feelings on other tech companies doing the fray, and affirming his trust in Sony and Nintendo.
While Spencer’s words are certainly reassuring, it should also be noted that the Call of Duty franchise has exceptional popularity on PlayStation, with titles like 2019’s Modern Warfare breaking franchise records in sales. The popularity of the brand also extends to Warzone, with the game’s microtransactions seeing large sums of revenue across all platforms.
While there are many players that are still wondering how Microsoft will be dealing with Activision as a company following the lawsuit surrounding the publisher, fans should find it comforting that Microsoft is not withholding the Call of Duty franchise from players. And with what it has planned for titles like Warzone going further into 2022, it's good to know that it has its priorities with the series in check.
Source: Bloomberg