The Future of Exclusive Call of Duty Content Revealed: Phil Spencer's Insights
Xbox head Phil Spencer addresses the future of platform-exclusive Call of Duty content following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Highlights
Xbox head Phil Spencer assures fans that Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation and expresses his desire to end platform-exclusive content for the franchise.
Spencer aims to ensure that all players across different platforms are welcomed into the Call of Duty community, regardless of their choice between Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation, or PC.
Despite being the owner of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is not vigorously pursuing the inclusion of Modern Warfare 3 in Game Pass for this year.
Following Microsoft's completion of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Xbox head Phil Spencer has shared his thoughts on the future of platform-exclusive Call of Duty content. Traditionally, PlayStation has had exclusive skins and timed exclusivity for betas in the Call of Duty games, leading the community to anticipate changes now that the iconic shooter franchise has a new owner.
As the excitement settles over the acquisition, some PlayStation fans expressed concerns that Spencer and the Xbox team might retaliate by making Call of Duty content exclusive to their rival platform, or worse, not releasing the game on Sony consoles altogether. Fortunately, Spencer has already assured players that Call of Duty will continue to be available on PlayStation, and now it seems he has even more positive news for players on other platforms.
Phil Spencer made an appearance on the Official Xbox Podcast and expressed his intention to put an end to platform-exclusive content for the Call of Duty franchise. The podcast primarily focused on the implications of Microsoft's official acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and Spencer reassured fans on other platforms by stating, "Our goal is not to use Call of Duty as a means to make you purchase an Xbox console." Instead, Spencer emphasized their previous experience with exclusive deals and emphasized that he wants players on all platforms, including Nintendo consoles, PlayStation consoles, and PC, to fully feel like part of the Call of Duty community.
The recent open beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which was released exclusively on PlayStation a week before Xbox and PC, serves as an example of platform-exclusive content. However, Xbox's head, Spencer, aims to eliminate this practice rather than favoring Xbox players with early access. Microsoft seems less aggressive compared to what PlayStation fans anticipated with their new lineup of intellectual properties. Activision Blizzard currently has no plans to bring Modern Warfare 3 to Game Pass this year, despite previous first-party Xbox games launching on day one.
Since acquiring Activision Blizzard, Xbox now possesses a wide range of iconic franchises, with Call of Duty being perhaps the most significant addition. With new games in this franchise being released annually, it remains to be seen how this acquisition will impact future installments. Nonetheless, Spencer and his team seem to be expressing all the right sentiments so far.
