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Opinion

Phil Spencer's clever tweet about Call of Duty exclusivity sparks debate among gamers

By:Semir Omerovic
Published: 10:25, 21 January 2022
GeekWire
Phil Spencer

Xbox might have a desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation but they'll want something in return.

Microsoft Gaming head, Phil Spencer has "confirmed" Xbox's desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles but his choice of words is nonetheless vague, and still very much leaves room for speculation regarding the exclusivity of the mammoth franchise.

"Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship," Spencer tweeted. 

Call of Duty Warzone will remain on PlayStation

So, what's this desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation? Well, there are a couple of ways that this particular part of the tweet can be interpreted. First, it is entirely possible that this is indeed a confirmation that Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation but we think there's more to it. 

Let's look at it this way. Call of Duty Warzone is now on PlayStation and supporting the title with patches and big content updates on PlayStation in the future is keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation. 

Hypothetically, In a couple of years time, when Call of Duty 2023 is exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem, Spencer wouldn't be lying about keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation since Warzone would still be there. 

emadalden_ Call of Duty Modern Warfare II will probably launch on all platforms

And then there's Phil Spencer's other desire - to bring Xbox Game Pass on as many platforms as possible including PlayStation. There's a big probability that one of the "demands" to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation is to allow Xbox Game Pass on PlayStation. 

We doubt Sony would ever allow Xbox Game Pass on their platform but it does look like they're running out of options now that Xbox has two massive publishers in Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. 

Can Sony chiefs swallow their pride and look beyond the console wars and competition? Sure they can but such a decision would most definitely signal a major shift within the industry and make Sony a defeated side in this early battle for the next-gen domination. 

Bethesda
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