It seemed like an obvious move, but it took a hard-nosed confirmation from Phil Spencer to clear up every single detail. This is because Microsoft is still in the process of giving the green light to the purchase of Activision Blizzard to enter the team of game development companies of Microsoft Games.
Given the criticism for monopoly that has come out, and being such a large purchase, it has to be approved, and attempts to make games only come out on one platform will be looked at with a magnifying glass. But they have already confirmed that Call of Duty will continue to be released on PlayStation consoles because they don't see exclusivity as profitable.
Call of Duty and everything from Blizzard on Game Pass
Actually, this movement is more a way to enhance the permanent catalog of Xbox Game Pass. Although there are many games that can be played with a subscription, it is not uncommon that after a few months, they drop from the service because they do not see it profitable to be permanently in a subscription service. The only games that are perennial are the games from Microsoft Games, be they Halo, Forza and others from their studios.
With the acquisition they will get first of all the heavyweight that is Call of Duty. Millions of players easily only play the annual installment year after year, and thus paying a subscription that guarantees the game and its DLCs the day they come out and then you can play hundreds of games, is tremendously attractive for many users. that otherwise would not be subscribed.
Additionally, all Blizzard games will also be included in Xbox Game Pass, and yes, that includes the future Diablo IV exit. It seems that with the Activision Blizzard games they are not going to opt for the exclusive strategy, since that will allow them to reach more people to play their games, many of which, like Overwatch 2, will have a battle pass and that implies a constant arrival of income.
Source: Eurogamer
