Call of Duty is staying on PlayStation – so what's next for the Activision saga?

The Call of Duty franchise is arguably one of the most recognisable in the gaming world. The first person shooter sees players take on recreations of historic battles and new worlds alike.

Recently, it's been at the centre of a controversy, though. With Microsoft looking to purchase Activision Blizzard – the company behind the franchise – questions have been asked over its future on competitor devices. Specifically, that opposition has come from Sony, who manufacture the PlayStation 5.

That looks to have reached a resolution though. The Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, tweeted recently, announcing that an agreement had been reached between the two parties. That will keep the franchise on PlayStation devices if Microsoft are granted permission to complete the takeover. A similar deal had previously been struck with Nintendo, which would see Call of Duty on Nintendo Switch consoles in the future. 

The deal has been less than straightforward so far. It was blocked by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK. Interestingly, they didn't take issue with the console gaming market. Instead, they were unsatisfied with the potential detriment to the cloud gaming market.

The next hearing in that saga with the CMA has been cancelled too, according to Video Games Chronicle. Microsoft have been negotiating out of court with the organisation, with a decision expected by the end of August.

This agreement with Sony is something of a turning point, though. They were one of the most vocally active opposers to the buyout, so having them onside should reduce friction as they look to get the deal over the line.

It's tough to predict what will happen next. The CMA remain the only party blocking the merger, after Microsoft won a legal battle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the USA recently. That seems like a positive sign, but hey, this is the UK Government we're talking about. I'd hesitate to make any guesses about where the saga ends.

It's well worth keeping an eye on, though. We should know more about the outcome before the end of August.