PlayStation head Jim Ryan calls Xbox Call of Duty terms ‘inadequate’

What you need to know

• Microsoft is currently working to acquire Activision Blizzard for almost $69 billion. 
• As part of the deal, Microsoft says it has offered to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation even after the current agreements end.
• In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Interactive Entertainment Jim Ryan says that the terms Microsoft offered are “inadequate,” as the company offered three more years of Call of Duty past the existing terms.

While Microsoft has offered to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation even after the planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, PlayStation leadership appears to find these terms unacceptable. 

According to GamesIndustry.biz (opens in new tab), Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan says that as part of the terms for Microsoft’s planned purchase of Activision Blizzard, the company offered Sony an agreement to keep new Call of Duty games on PlayStation consoles, the deal would last for three years beyond the terms of Sony’s existing agreement that is in place with Activision Blizzard.

“I hadn’t intended to comment on what I understood to be a private business discussion, but I feel the need to set the record straight because Phil Spencer brought this into the public forum,” Ryan says. 

“Microsoft has only offered for Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends,” Ryan explained. “After almost 20 years of Call of Duty on PlayStation, their proposal was inadequate on many levels and failed to take account of the impact on our gamers. We want to guarantee PlayStation gamers continue to have the highest quality Call of Duty experience, and Microsoft’s proposal undermines this principle.”

Microsoft’s deal is currently going through regulatory approval processes, with the U.K. Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) raising some concerns over the deal. In response, Microsoft president Brad Smith noted that the company was “ready to work” with the CMA over any concerns.

The next mainline entry in the franchise, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, is slated to launch on Oct. 28, 2022.