Xbox boss Phil Spencer has given players on rival consoles, most notably PS5, some reassuring words about future exclusivity, or lack thereof.
Today, October 13, the UK CMA approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. That was the “final regulatory hurdle” for the massive buyout following months of legal battles, which of course led to Microsoft closing the deal earlier today. That puts several multiplatform series - Call Of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk, Spyro, and many more - under Microsoft’s control.
There’s previously been concern over these series jumping to Xbox and PC exclusively, but Phil Spencer has extended an olive branch to other platform owners with some reassuring, albeit vague, words.
“For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play,” Spencer said in a statement on Xbox Wire. “You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here - and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise.”
Microsoft previously pledged to keep Call Of Duty on PlayStation consoles for the next 10 years, although no such promises were made about other games from the publisher. Spencer now seems to hint that nothing much would change in terms of exclusivity – at least not for series’ that are already on multiple platforms – albeit with quite some room for interpretation.
“Because when everyone plays, we all win,” Spencer adds. “We believe our news today will unlock a world of possibilities for more ways to play. Thank you for the ongoing support. We have so much more to come in the months ahead - I’m excited for the future and cannot wait to share it with you.”
Here’s the Xbox Activision deal explained: all the answers to your burning questions.
