What is Call of Duty and why are Sony, Microsoft battling over it?

This deal puts an end to the battle between two tech and gaming giants that has been going on since Microsoft announced the acquisition of Activision in January 2022

Tech giant Sony has signed a 10-year deal for "Call of Duty" with Microsoft to keep the franchise on PlayStation after the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, said that it was a "binding agreement" and the Raymond-based company will keep the game on Sony's PlayStation.

In a tweet, he said, "We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and @PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games."

This deal ends the battle between two tech and gaming giants that has been going on since Microsoft announced the acquisition of Activision in January 2022.

What is Call of Duty?

Call of Duty is a video game series originally published by Activision in 2003. It is available for playing on mostly all major gaming platforms, including Sony's PlayStation, Microsoft's Xbox as well as Nintendo.

One of the highest-selling games of its time, the game focuses on the World War II setting. Since its release, several new series of the game have been built. "Modern Warfare" is also a title of the Call of Duty series.

Why were Sony and Microsoft battling over it?

Last year, Microsoft announced a $69 billion deal to buy Activision. It was seen as one of the biggest and most consequential deals in the history of gaming.

Since the announcement, Sony has been repeatedly making claims that it fears Microsoft will remove Call of Duty from its gaming platform PlayStation and keep it exclusively for Xbox.

It also said that Microsoft could "sabotage" even the earlier versions of the game.

Also Read: Microsoft to keep 'Call of Duty' on Sony PlayStation in a 10-year deal

The company expressed the concerns both privately and publicly. Microsoft has been trying to calm the pressure.

The Microsoft-Activision deal has also been subjected to scrutiny by several regulators, including US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the European Union (EU).

The FTC also filed a case against Microsoft to stop the deal.

During the hearings of the FTC case, Microsoft reiterated that Call of Duty would remain on PlayStation "for at least several more years". It even offered Sony a deal last year assuring to keep "all existing Activision console titles on Sony, including future versions in the Call of Duty franchise or any other current Activision franchise on Sony through December 31, 2027."

The cases also became a roadblock for the Microsoft-Activision deal.

According to a report by The Verge, on February 21, PlayStation chief Jim Ryan told Activision CEO Bobby Kotick that he does not want a new Call of Duty deal. "I just want to block your merger," he said.

The EU later approved the merger.

However, now it has signed a deal that ensures that Call of Duty will be available for at least the next ten years on PlayStation.

This is also expected to allow Microsoft to acquire Activision. According to BBC, the merger may now be completed as soon as Tuesday.