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Sony expects Microsoft won't pull Activision Blizzard games off PlayStation

Activision Blizzard makes some of the most popular games for the PS5 and PS4 gaming consoles.

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Andrew Blok has been an editor at CNET covering HVAC and home energy, with a focus on solar, since October 2021. As an environmental journalist, he navigates the changing energy landscape to help people make smart energy decisions. He's a graduate of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State and has written for several publications in the Great Lakes region, including Great Lakes Now and Environmental Health News, since 2019. You can find him in western Michigan watching birds.
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The fate of Activision Blizzard's multiplatform games remains unclear following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

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Despite the announcement earlier this week of Microsoft's  planned multibillion-dollar acquisition of video game company Activision Blizzard, rival Sony doesn't expect the newly acquired games to become Xbox exclusives, a Sony spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday. Activision Blizzard makes some of the most popular games on Sony's PlayStation, including the Call of Duty series. The Sony spokesperson cited contractual agreements Microsoft will be bound by.

Microsoft said Tuesday that it will acquire Activision Blizzard in a deal worth approximately $68.7 billion and expected to close in the company's fiscal 2023. The deal will bring popular games like Candy Crush, Warcraft, Overwatch and Call of Duty under Microsoft's ownership and will make Microsoft the third-largest gaming company by revenue, the tech giant said.

"Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward," Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, said in a statement Tuesday. Spencer will oversee Activision Blizzard when the deal is finalized.

Spencer expanded on the plans for Activision Blizzard games on Sony consoles in a tweet Thursday. 

"I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation," he tweeted. "Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship."

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