Call of Duty is traditionally closely linked with PlayStation as a platform. However, Xbox maker Microsoft wants to buy the CoD publisher Activision. Fans are worried about their favorite franchise, but one man apparently wouldn’t mind if Call of Duty becomes an Xbox exclusive: the head of EA.
Since Microsoft announced its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard, the gaming world has been in turmoil. Especially fans of Call of Duty as well as PlayStation maker Sony are anxious whether the popular shooter will continue to be available on the Japanese console:
- Shortly after the announcement of the acquisition, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said that Call of Duty will continue to be available for PlayStation consoles.
- In September 2022, it was stated that this would only be “for a few years”, much to Sony’s chagrin.
- Lastly, the Xbox chief made it clear: Call of Duty will even be available on Game Pass if the acquisition goes through. A horror message for the PlayStation makers.
The acquisition of the publisher is not yet completed, but EA chief Andrew Wilson seems little affected by the uncertainty surrounding Call of Duty.
This is what the EA chief says: In a recent conversation during a Goldman Sachs event, Wilson spoke about the limbo Call of Duty is currently in (via SeekingAlpha). He literally said:
In a world where there are many questions about the future of Call of Duty and which platforms it appears on or not, platform agnosticism and the complete cross-platform system of Battlefield is a huge opportunity.
Wilson does not explicitly say that he wishes for Xbox exclusivity for Call of Duty but seems not to be particularly upset about it either. The reason is his own product: the Battlefield series.
Battlefield 2042 is currently in Season 2, which can once again excite players. Here is the trailer:
Call of Duty as an Xbox Exclusive – An “Opportunity” for Battlefield
Call of Duty and Battlefield are traditional rivals when it comes to being the most popular shooter. As two of the biggest, or even the two largest shooter franchises, they compete for players and their leisure time with every release.
The latest Battlefield, Battlefield 2042, has disappointed many fans. The developers have tried hard to save the game, but Wilson himself says in the conversation:
I don’t think we delivered the last 2 iterations [of Battlefield] as we should have. We have a lot of work ahead of us.
Whether Xbox exclusivity for Call of Duty would actually help strengthen Battlefield on the console remains to be seen. However, Wilson seems convinced that his team can bring back what fans have loved for years from the franchise.
Even BF 2042 has not been given up, even if it took months after release to truly captivate players:
