Microsoft claims Activision nearly stopped CoD on Xbox
Microsoft has claimed that Activision almost stopped Call of Duty coming to Xbox consoles after disagreements over revenue sharing.
23rd Jun 2023 15:35
Courtesy of Activision
Microsoft claims Activision nearly stopped CoD on Xbox
Microsoft has claimed that Activision almost stopped Call of Duty coming to Xbox consoles after disagreements over revenue sharing.
23rd Jun 2023 15:35
Courtesy of Activision
Call of Duty is one of the biggest gaming franchises on the planet, and is unsurprisingly, a huge reason why so many FPS fans purchase a console. Currently, the CoDverse is accessible on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, meaning it's not an exclusive and is available to everyone.
While a lot of players assume this has and will always be the case, Microsoft dropped a bombshell in the ongoing FTC court case regarding the $68.7 billion merger with Activision Blizzard.
According to Microsoft, Call of Duty almost wasn't available on the Xbox Series X/S due to disagreements with Activision over revenue sharing.
Microsoft claims Activision nearly prevented CoD coming to Xbox
As reported by popular Call of Duty Twitter account CharlieINTEL, Microsoft's Sarah Bond shared that Activision CEO Bobby Kotick made it clear that "if we did not move beyond standard revenue share that he intended to not place Call of Duty on Xbox."
This happened in 2021, and as per Microsoft, effectively forced the gaming giant to agree to his terms. Without accepting the deal, Call of Duty would not have been available on the Xbox Series X/S.
With a huge amount of Call of Duty fans on Xbox, CoD's absence from the platform would have caused massive uproar and likely resulted in significantly less sales of the Xbox Series X/S.
Talking on the decision, Bond revealed that "time was limited... We had players whose expectations we wanted to meet, so we ultimately made a decision that it was the best thing for the business."
Will Call of Duty remain available on every platform?
For now, Call of Duty will remain on every single platform and likely won't become an exclusive title in the near future. However, if Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard does eventually go through, it's possible it will be removed from PlayStation at some point.
It's worth noting that this hasn't been confirmed, but Microsoft will likely have the power to make Call of Duty exclusive if it gain control of Activision Blizzard. Either way, it's interesting to know that there was a chance Call of Duty may have been unavailable on the Xbox Series X/S if Microsoft refused Activision terms.
About The Author
Alex Garton
Alex is a Senior Writer at GGRecon. With a BA (Hons) in English, he has previously written for Dexerto & Gfinity. Specialising in Call of Duty & Apex Legends, he loves (attempting) to improve his aim in competitive shooters and will always make time for a single-player RPG.
