Phi Spencer: Microsoft/Activision Deal Would Result In Overwatch, Diablo, Call of Duty, And More Being Added To Game Pass

Nearly nine months after Microsoft announced its intention to purchase Call of Duty and World of Warcraft developer and publisher Activision Blizzard, the deal has still not gone through. This isn’t due to a lack of agreement among the parties, but as is the case with attempted pairings like these, regulatory oversight that allows members of the same industry and governmental bodies to weigh in before the deal can be approved.

In the past few months, we’ve heard different regulatory opinions as well as concerns from companies like Sony. They feel that allowing Microsoft to buy the publisher of Call of Duty will end up hurting the Japanese console developer in the long run as it opens the possibility of Microsoft either not publishing the game for the PlayStation at all or at least giving the Xbox priority. In fact, the UK has asked for more time to review the deal to see how it might impact rival companies.

Early this morning, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer published a post addressing these concerns yet again. As outlined in the post, Microsoft’s stated goal is to create an ecosystem that offers players more ways to access games and developers more opportunities to get their games out there. The first portion of the post delves into how Game Pass is a part of this plan. "We intend to make Activision Blizzard’s much-loved library of games – including Overwatch, Diablo and Call of Duty – available in Game Pass and to grow those gaming communities. By delivering even more value to players, we hope to continue growing Game Pass, extending its appeal to mobile phones and any connected device," says Spencer.

But as Game Pass has been an integral part of the Microsoft Gaming ecosystem for a while now, the more significant takeaway is their goal to reach mobile platforms. For them, purchasing Activision Blizzard is a core component of that plan as mobile developer King falls under that umbrella. In addition, Blizzard has some experience creating mobile content as well. They also intend to use cloud gaming to open their content to other devices.

One specific concern they addressed was Sony’s worry about how the purchase would impact franchises like Call of Duty and other platforms that rely on them for sales. Once again, Spencer reiterates that Microsoft has “committed to making the same version of [the game] available on PlayStation on the same day” it launches everywhere else. The post also promises that crossplay will continue to be available across all devices and cites their success with Minecraft as to why it should be done this way.