Microsoft signs 10-year contract to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms
Microsoft has signed a 10-year legal agreement that’ll bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms – arriving “the same day as Xbox” with full feature and content parity.
“We’ve now signed a binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers,” Brad Smith, president at Microsoft, said on Twitter. “This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms.”
Last December, Microsoft was already in talks with Nintendo about this deal – so it’s likely that the ink is still wet. Sony isn’t getting left behind either, as the announcement also mentions PlayStation.
We’ve now signed a binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers. This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms. pic.twitter.com/JmO0hzw1BO
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) February 21, 2023
The series hasn’t been on a Nintendo platform since Call of Duty: Ghosts, which launched for Wii U in 2013. Microsoft didn’t clarify whether future Call of Duty installments would release for the Switch or whatever Nintendo’s next console might be.
This partnership is undoubtedly happening due to Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Since the sale was announced, it has faced severe scrutiny from regulatory bodies worldwide, including a lawsuit from the FTC, along with pressure from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which wants Microsoft to sell Call of Duty.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.