Microsoft May Own Blizzard by 2023, but Sony Still Expects Games on Various Platforms
Sony took a hit when we heard the surprising news about Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard. There might have been the assumption because of this, that Activision Blizzard would be Xbox exclusive. It could have been the fact that fans saw games being stacked into Xbox’s pocket; it could be the fact that Activision Blizzard is one of the biggest game studios in North America, at least in stock price.
However, Sony is now clearing things up. Or at least, their spokesperson is, as they did give a statement to the Wallstreet Journal. “We expect that Microsoft will abide by contractual agreements and continue to ensure Activision games are multiplatform.”
A simple statement by Sony, but a firm one. Microsoft has apparently agreed, saying that while there will be some Activision Blizzard games that will be exclusive, not all of them will be. That appears to follow the same patterns of the past, with Microsoft’s acquisitions of Double Fine Productions and Bethesda.
So, that means that it’s pretty likely that we will see Diablo 4, Overwatch 2, and Call of Duty: Warzone will be able to be played on consoles other than Xbox and PC. However, it may mean that future projects will be Xbox exclusives, as we’ve seen with the promised future releases of Redfall, Starfield, and The Elder Scrolls 6.
Whether this means that Sony, and by extension PlayStation will suffer from not having Activision Blizzard is difficult to say. Sony does have some great exclusive games that will be coming out, such as Horizon Forbidden West, Sifu, and God of War Ragnarok.
So it’s difficult to say if Sony, and PlayStation by extension, will suffer due to this deal. We may not see the effects of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision until 2023, or even later when the deal is finalized.