In a surprising move, Microsoft and Nintendo have agreed to terms that will see Activision’s Call of Duty land on Switch only IF the merger with Activision goes through.
The latest news in the ongoing Microsoft Activision Blizzard merger saga seems to be loaded with a caveat that could render the whole deal invalid. Microsoft and Nintendo have now officially entered into a binding agreement that will see the massive first person shooter franchise, Call of Duty, to Nintendo platforms. But, the only issue is that the Activision deal is still on the fence due to the UK’s CMA stating “Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision could result in higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation for UK gamers,” just two weeks ago.
The announcement was made in a public Twitter post by Vice Chairman of Microsoft, Brad Smith that said “Microsoft and Nintendo have now negotiated and signed a binding 10-year legal agreement to brign Call of Duty to Nintendo players – the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity – so they can experience Call of Duty just as Xbox and PlayStation gamers enjoy Call of Duty. We are committed to providing long term equal access to Call of Duty to other gaming platforms, bringing more choice to more players and more competition to the gaming market.”
This statement directly conflicts with the CMA’s conclusion of the deal ““harm UK gamers by weakening the important rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation gaming consoles,” and oddly, doesn’t actually mean anything if the Activision Blizzard merger fails to go through.
The 10-year agreement was likely Microsoft making good on their previous claims of bringing the Call of Duty franchise to Nintendo consoles, but the primary reason for the announcement could potentially be a move to pressure Sony into accepting a similar deal, like when the deal was first ushered in, but with Valve in the equation. Fans will likely need to stay tuned into what happens next regarding the ongoing Microsoft and Activision Blizzard merger saga.
