Microsoft says it will bring Call of Duty to Nintendo for 10 years if Activision deal closes

Microsoft's caput of gaming Phil Spencer said precocious Tuesday that the institution has "entered into a 10-year commitment" to bring deed crippled Call of Duty to Nintendo pursuing the closure of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, arsenic the U.S. tech giants look to sooth regulators and rivals' antitrust fears.

Nintendo was not instantly disposable for remark erstwhile contacted by CNBC.

It is unclear whether this committedness is legally binding, oregon whether Nintendo has signed it successful immoderate way. Microsoft was not instantly disposable for remark connected these points erstwhile contacted by CNBC.

Spencer besides said that Microsoft has "committed" to connection Call of Duty connected crippled organisation level Steam simultaneously to Xbox aft the adjacent of the deal.

The announcements travel aft Microsoft President Brad Smith said connected Monday that the institution has offered Sony a 10-year contract to marque each caller merchandise of Call of Duty disposable on Sony's PlayStation console astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the Xbox.

Microsoft's blitz of commitments astir Call of Duty, 1 of the astir fashionable gaming franchises successful history, comes arsenic regulators and rivals amp up scrutiny of the company's $69 cardinal takeover of Activision which was projected successful January. Activision is the developer for Call of Duty.

European Union and U.K. regulators person opened antitrust probes into the merger to look astatine whether the woody would wounded competition. The EU is acrophobic Microsoft whitethorn artifact entree to games specified arsenic Call of Duty for rivals.

Microsoft has looked to easiness fears this week done its commitments astir Call of Duty. The Redmond-headquartered institution argues the Activision takeover volition beryllium bully for gamers and summation contention successful the industry.

Microsoft has been looking to drawback up with rival Sony and the occurrence of its PlayStation 5 console. One of Microsoft's biggest issues is the deficiency of first-party games which Sony has been investing successful heavily. A beardown database of games is adjuvant for console sales.

The institution is besides looking to bolster its unreality gaming offering — wherever users tin efficaciously watercourse games without having to acquisition them individually. Completion of the Activision woody would assistance Microsoft summation its catalogue of games for the service.