Microsoft and Nintendo have signed a landmark deal that will see Call of Duty land on the Switch and its successors for the next 10 years. The deal guarantees release date, feature, and content parity for all new editions.
Microsoft President Brad Smith revealed the news via his Twitter account today. While his attached image message singled out Call of Duty, his accompanying text hints that the shooter franchise may only be the golden goose of a much larger agreement. “We’ve now signed a binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers,” he wrote. “This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms.”
It seems to hint that we might also see other Xbox franchises make their way to Nintendo’s current and future consoles. Or, they could just as easily be weasel words, intended to convince regulators that Microsoft’s ongoing attempt to acquire Activision Blizzard is not anti-competitive.
https://twitter.com/BradSmi/status/1627926790172811264
Word of this Call of Duty deal has been floating around since Microsoft first ran into issues with the acquisition. Reportedly, Sony has been offered the same terms, but has refused in light of its opposition to the Microsoft/Activision deal.
Several major regulators have raised objections to the acquisition, with Microsoft set to defend its proposal in the EU today.
Either way, this statement from Brad Smith is a curious one, as Microsoft, at present, does not own Call of Duty.
