According to a Microsoft statement, the highly anticipated release of Call of Duty games on Xbox Game Pass may take longer than expected. Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is ongoing and not without complications. That hasn't minimized excitement for Call of Duty releases to come to Xbox Game Pass once the acquisition has been completed, however. But even with a quick and timely acquisition, there are hurdles that could keep Call of Duty away for some time yet.
The Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard has hit some hurdles, particularly with the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority. The CMA has been particularly receptive to Sony's argument that releasing Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass would make its subscription service challenging to compete with. As a result, Microsoft has made some significant concessions, while also revealing a surprising amount of information regarding current Call of Duty contracts.
In one response to the CMA, Microsoft explains that even if it wanted to, it can't put Call of Duty games on Xbox Game Pass "for a number of years." That's because Activision Blizzard and Sony already have an agreement. This agreement, apparently, restricts the ability of Activision Blizzard from putting Call of Duty games on Xbox Game Pass. This agreement precedes the acquisition, but Microsoft would be beholden to it after the acquisition closes.
There are no specific details provided by Microsoft regarding this agreement. It's unclear how many years it would last, what Call of Duty games would be "restricted," or what deal Sony made that included these restrictions. What it does make clear is that Sony has been working to counter the possibility of Call of Duty being released on Xbox Game Pass for some time.
Even with the "restrictions" placed on the Call of Duty franchise for the foreseeable future, Microsoft clearly thinks the acquisition is well worth it even if it has to wait. And understandably so, because Call of Duty is one of the biggest franchises out there and would grant an immediate level of added value to Xbox Game Pass when it does arrive.
Needless to say, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard is very messy and even if the UK's CMA ultimately lets the acquisition through, Microsoft has plenty of other hurdles to cross afterward. Regardless of where fans stand regarding the future of Call of Duty, it's probably for the best that a $69 billion acquisition faces a significant amount of review. And even better that Call of Duty doesn't become platform exclusive with the flip of a switch, at Microsoft's whim.
Source: Pure Xbox