Following on from Microsoft's intention to acquire Activision Blizzard in a multi-billion dollar deal, the gaming and esports industries continue to share numerous thoughts and opinions on the largest gaming deal in history.
While some are marking the deal as a new era for the Call of Duty franchise, others claim that the deal isn't good news for those that own anything other than an Xbox or a PC.
With the possibility of future Call of Duty releases becoming Xbox exclusive, an analyst has claimed that this could present several regulatory hurdles for Microsoft sealing the deal.
Call of Duty Xbox Exclusive Hurdles
The deal set for completion by June 2023 will need to adhere to any competition laws before Activision Blizzard falls under the Microsoft umbrella. In certain cases, regulators can put a halt to deals that could threaten any market competition which is where Xbox exclusivity for Call of Duty could cause problems.
According to industry analyst DFC Intelligence, "franchises like Call of Duty may not be exclusive to Xbox platforms because of antitrust concerns," which is good news for PlayStation players.
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Will Call of Duty Be Xbox Exclusive?
Microsoft has already confirmed that some of Activision Blizzard's titles will continue to be available on PlayStation consoles but as seen when the tech giant acquired Bethesda, future releases could well be on Xbox and PC platforms. It's far too early to tell what the future holds for Call of Duty but for the time being, it will be releasing on PlayStation.
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