While Xbox’s acquisition of Bethesda last year was a game changer, an even larger deal was confirmed to be taking place yesterday. Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard ensures that a number of massive franchises could become Xbox exclusives in the coming years. While many have been talking about major moves like a potential World of Warcraft release for Xbox consoles, the impact that the deal will have on PlayStation is equally intriguing.
While it remains to be seen how Sony will respond, as the purchase of other publishers is certainly a possibility, PlayStation fans have surely made note of the franchises that could no longer be seen on the platform. Call of Duty and Overwatch are two of the biggest shooters in the world, and with both possibly becoming Xbox console exclusives, PlayStation will be severely lacking in the FPS department. Sony needs to share news on an exclusive FPS sooner rather than later, because right now, Xbox is set to dominate in this area.
Why Xbox’s Activision Blizzard Purchase Is Huge For FPS Fans
Following the acquisitions of Bethesda and Obsidian, it became clear that Microsoft had made Xbox the platform of the Western RPG. With games like The Elder Scrolls 6, Starfield, Avowed, and The Outer Worlds 2 lined up to release in the next several years, fans of the genre that prefer to play on consoles are essentially required to own an Xbox. Now, following the purchase of Activision and Bethesda, FPS fans will also have a tough time resisting the Xbox platform.
Prior to the major acquisitions made in the last few months, Microsoft had already been giving FPS fans a great reason to purchase Xbox consoles. The Halo franchise is beloved by many and recognized as one of the most influential shooters of all time, with gamers around the world having an attachment to Master Chief. However, Xbox has far more to offer to fans of shooters than just Halo now, as its latest acquisitions have essentially seen it cornering the market when it comes to the FPS genre.
Much like how the purchases of Obsidian and Bethesda have allowed Microsoft to instantly build up a huge lineup of western RPGs, Activision Blizzard adds huge FPS franchises to the Xbox brand. Overwatch helped make the hero shooter genre mainstream, and now the sequel could find itself as an Xbox exclusive. Yearly Call of Duty releases only being on Xbox is a legitimate possibility, and given all the eras that the franchise covers, a variety of shooters is guaranteed. These games come in addition to the Doom and Wolfenstein franchises, which were acquired with the Bethesda deal, meaning that FPS fans who play on Xbox will have a huge array of options going forward.
PlayStation Could Revive A Beloved FPS Franchise
Clearly, PlayStation needs to do something to keep fans of first-person shooters engaged. Those that love Overwatch could soon be missing out on their favorite hero shooter, while PlayStation fans that bought the Sony consoles for their exclusive Call of Duty content could be out of luck. While none of Sony’s dormant franchises can compete with names as big as Overwatch and Call of Duty, bringing one back could at least give FPS fans a reason not to abandon PlayStation.
One option that immediately presents itself is the Insomniac Games series Resistance. A trilogy of games released during the PS3 generation, the series saw players battling against the Chimera, a violent race of aliens. Telling an interesting story and putting some memorable weapons in the hands of players, many have wanted to see the franchise revived for a while now. With Xbox’s lineup of shooters growing drastically, now would be the time to reboot the franchise. Resistance is versatile, too, as it could provide everything from a memorable campaign to a free-to-play multiplayer experience build around battle passes and microtransactions.
The other franchise Sony could revive is Killzone. While Guerrilla Games is plenty busy with the expanding Horizon series, the Killzone IP could easily be handed off to another developer. Killzone never did reach the popularity of Halo, but it did feature some solid campaigns and memorable multiplayer experiences. Bringing back classic maps like Radec Academy alongside original play spaces could lead to an entertaining multiplayer mode, and a re-introduction of the intimidating Helghast would surely lead to a memorable story. With the series always being cutting edge graphically, a new Killzone game would surely be a visual spectacle as well.
The Potential Of A New, PlayStation-Exclusive FPS
While reviving Killzone or Resistance would surely please fans of the older PlayStation generations, there is a reason that the franchises are not active in 2021. While both were solid and certainly have untapped potential, neither was able to keep up with an IP like Halo – and certainly not something as big as Call of Duty - so the developers behind them moved on to new things. As such, reboots may share the same fate, so it could be better for PlayStation to invest in a new franchise.
Right now, the most likely candidate for a PlayStation exclusive FPS is Deviation Games’ upcoming project. The studio consists of influential figures like Jason Blundell, who is beloved among Call of Duty Zombies fans for his work on some of the mode’s best maps. While Deviation’s game is not confirmed to be a shooter, the past work of its development team certainly makes an FPS a legitimate possibility. Thus far, the game is confirmed to have a unique art style and an equal focus on gameplay and storytelling. With Deviation’s project only entering full production in 2022, though, it is likely a few years away at the earliest.
Whether it comes in the form of a revival for an old franchise, or the debut of a brand-new IP, PlayStation has never needed an exclusive FPS more than it does right now. Currently, Sony has no exclusive games that fill this void, which is concerning given the genre’s popularity. With Halo, Call of Duty, and Overwatch now under the Xbox banner, PlayStation is in a tough position. Xbox is now set to become the home of the FPS, so Sony needs to do something to put up a fight and give players an alternative to the massive shooters that its competition will be offering.