What you need to know
- Microsoft has entered a 10-year agreement to bring Xbox games to Nintendo hardware.
- Company President Brad Smith shared that Call of Duty will ship to Nintendo players "the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity."
- Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard is under scrutiny by several governing bodies, including those from the United States and UK.
Microsoft has officially entered a 10-year agreement with Nintendo to bring Xbox games to Nintendo gamers. Company President Brad Smith shared the news on Twitter, confirming a 10-year binding contract with Nintendo. Microsoft had previously shared its commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo hardware, but Smith's comments confirm that the tech giant has signed a binding agreement.
"We’ve now signed a binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers. This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms," said Smith.
The news comes in the midst of government scrutiny over Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Firm commitments like this one may sway regulators, as it shows that Microsoft is not trying to make Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox.
Smith's tweet included the following statement:
Microsoft and Nintendo have now negotiated and signed a binding 10-year legal agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo players - the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity - so they can experience Call of Duty just as Xbox and PlayStation gamers enjoy Call of Duty. We are committed to providing long term equal access to Call of Duty to other gaming platforms, bringing more choice to more players and more competition to the gaming market.
We’ve now signed a binding 10-year contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s gamers. This is just part of our commitment to bring Xbox games and Activision titles like Call of Duty to more players on more platforms. pic.twitter.com/JmO0hzw1BOFebruary 21, 2023
Smith's mention of PlayStation and other gaming platforms is key here, as Microsoft is currently facing regulatory bodies from several governments regarding its planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which makes Call of Duty. His comments also do not mention a specific piece of hardware from Nintendo, suggesting that Call of Duty will make its way to whatever the successor to the Nintendo Switch is.
This is a developing news story, and we will update it as more information becomes available.
