Microsoft and Sony reach a 10-year Call of Duty agreement

Sony appears to be waving the white flag in an effort to stop Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard. After Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard is finalized, the massive Call of Duty brand will continue to be available on Sony's PlayStation platforms thanks to a deal that the two companies revealed this morning.

Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, tweeted the information. He made no mention of the details of this agreement, such as how long it will run or whether any money was exchanged. In fact, he said, "We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games."

Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, tweeted a response of his own. He declared:

From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before.

The largest corporation to object to Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard for $69 billion was Sony. It spent months trying to persuade government watchdogs including the UK Competition and Markets Authority and the US Federal Trade Commission that the acquisition would be detrimental to Sony in particular and the gaming industry as a whole.

In documents submitted to the CMA, Sony stated that at one point, "Microsoft might release a PlayStation version of Call of Duty where bugs and errors emerge only on the game's final level or after later updates." Jim Ryan, the head of Sony PlayStation, stated in testimony before the FTC in April that if the plan to acquire Activision Blizzard failed, Sony would not provide information on upcoming PlayStation consoles.

As of now, it is still unknown whether Microsoft will truly consummate the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by the deadline of July 18. Late in April, the CMA halted the transaction, but since then, Microsoft is said to have proposed the regulator a new arrangement. The CMA has extended the deadline for its investigation to August 29.

There are rumors that Microsoft might reach an agreement by July 18 but would also consent to keep in contact with the CMA until its new deadline. The deadline for Microsoft and Activision Blizzard's merger may potentially be postponed.