It seems the biggest names in the video game industry have been going on a spending spree, buying up large companies left and right to grow their libraries. In 2019 Sony acquired Insomniac Games, in 2020 Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media, earlier this month Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard, and now Sony has announced its acquisition of Bungie.
Every time an acquisition such as this occurs, many people become concerned about whether the titles they enjoy - in this case Destiny 2 - will become console exclusives or remain multiplatform. Most aforementioned acquisitions have resulted in console-exclusive titles, but that may change after Bungie's acquisition and the confirmation that its titles will remain multiplatform.
Pre-Bungie Acquisitions for Sony, Microsoft
When Sony acquired Insomniac Games and Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media, these were clearly meant to drive console sales. While Insomniac Games had mostly been a PlayStation-exclusive company except for the occasional title like Xbox One launch game Sunset Overdrive, ZeniMax Media had always been multiplatform.
ZeniMax Media is the owner of many large developers including Bethesda and id Software. Players were concerned about whether titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield would become exclusive to Xbox. Following the pre-established timed exclusive contract with Sony for Deathloop, that concern is becoming a reality as it seems The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield will become console-exclusive Game Pass titles. Then Microsoft announced it was acquiring Activision Blizzard in the largest video game acquisition to date. If Microsoft treats Activision Blizzard like ZeniMax Media, that would mean Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Overwatch and even Tony Hawk's Pro Skater could become exclusives.
Call of Duty is one of the largest franchises in gaming today, so making that an exclusive would be a huge shake-up to the industry. PlayStation fans would lose access and need to purchase an Xbox or PC to continue playing. Phil Spencer has said that Xbox does not want to pull communities away from other platforms, but that does not mean the games will remain multiplatform forever.
The deal is set to close in 2023, so if Xbox has plans to make titles exclusive it probably won't happen until then. The one thing that is clear is after the deal closes, every Activision Blizzard title will no doubt be on Xbox Game Pass day one.
Sony’s Acquisition of Bungie
Sony announced it was acquiring Bungie, the developer of Destiny and Destiny 2 that previously made Xbox famous with Halo, and immediately followed up saying Bungie would remain multiplatform. This is a huge departure from what Microsoft has done with its acquisitions, and even what Sony has done previously with its own companies.
This move could be made for a multitude of reasons. Destiny 2 is already multiplatform, so it would not make sense to make it an exclusive now. Perhaps Sony wants to put pressure on Microsoft to keep Activison Blizzard games multiplatform, or Sony sees the potential in other markets after the release of various titles on PC. Whatever the reason for this move, it may just be the thing to change the playing field.
Xbox Game Studios Could Go Multiplatform Too
Xbox Game Studios' focus has switched from selling Xbox hardware to selling Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. Every Xbox Game Studios title launches on Game Pass immediately, and it is constantly adding third-party titles to Game Pass' library. This means that games from Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax Media, and every other company that Xbox owns has games which will likely release on Game Pass day one.
Bungie remaining multiplatform means that Xbox players are not pulled away from the Destiny community, and they can hopefully still be a part of every Bungie game going forward. If Xbox truly is committed to not pulling communities away from each other, Bungie staying multiplatform may be the catalyst for Activision Blizzard titles to also remain multiplatform.
Xbox wants people to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. If the next Call of Duty launches on Game Pass along with PlayStation, many players may go the cheaper route. Instead of purchasing the next Call of Duty for $70 on PlayStation, players may look to the cheaper option of $15/month for Game Pass Ultimate. Either way, Xbox still gets players. It will be awhile before players know whether various titles are exclusive or not, as the acquisitions still need to be approved, but with Sony promising to let Bungie remain multiplatform it could usher in a new way of thinking for both Microsoft and Sony.