Microsoft offers Sony 10-year contract for new Call of Duty releases

Microsoft has offered Sony a 10-year contract to launch future Call of Duty titles on PlayStation the same day they get released on Xbox if its $69 billion Activision Blizzard takeover goes through, Microsoft’s President Brad Smith wrote in an opinion piece in the WSJ on Monday.

“We’ve offered Sony a 10-year contract to make each new ‘Call of Duty’ release available on PlayStation the same day it comes to Xbox,” Smith said. “We’re open to providing the same commitment to other platforms and making it legally enforceable by regulators in the US, UK, and European Union.”

Earlier this year, Microsoft Gaming CEO and Head of Xbox Phil Spencer offered Sony to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for ‘’at least several more years’’, The Verge reported in September. However, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan said that the proposal was ‘’inadequate on many levels’’ and doesn’t recognize the impact on its gamers.

The new offer comes as Microsoft is facing antitrust scrutiny over its proposed deal which was first announced in January.The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority launched its probe in July and entered the second phase of its review two months ago, saying that it could significantly harm competition.

Citing similar concerns, The European Commission launched its in-depth investigation last month and is expected to release its findings by July 20.

The deal is also facing another probe by the Federal Trade Commission of the United States, and according to a recent report by Politico, the FTC is likely to block the acquisition by filing an antitrust lawsuit.