Microsoft Announces 10-Year Deal to Bring Call of Duty to Nintendo Consoles

Microsoft has reached an agreement with Nintendo to bring the popular Call of Duty franchise to Nintendo platforms. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer revealed the news on Twitter, stating that Microsoft has formally committed to bringing Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms over the next ten years.

Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to @Nintendo following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King.  Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play. @ATVI_AB

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) December 7, 2022

The announcement comes amid Microsoft’s ongoing acquisition of Call of Duty’s developer, Activision Blizzard. According to Spencer, Microsoft will bring the first-person shooter to Nintendo consoles should the acquisition go through. Authorities have previously raised concerns over the pending acquisition, citing that the deal might hinder competition. Whether COD will come to Nintendo consoles depends on the US Federal Trade Commission's approval of the contentious acquisition. The acquisition deal is expected to go through by mid-2023.

Numerous regulatory agencies, notably the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, have opposed the merger. Government agencies and regulatory bodies have been concerned about the deal and its possible effects on the video game industry.

According to Spencer’s announcement, Microsoft is committed to bringing more games to more people “however they choose to play.” Additionally, he stated that after the acquisition is complete, Microsoft will still keep selling Call of Duty on Steam.

Recent reports have indicated that Microsoft offered Sony a deal to retain the Call of Duty series on the PlayStation. Brad Smith, vice chairman and president of Microsoft, also noted that a similar deal for PlayStation is still available.

Our acquisition will bring Call of Duty to more gamers and more platforms than ever before. That's good for competition and good for consumers. Thank you @Nintendo. Any day @Sony wants to sit down and talk, we'll be happy to hammer out a 10-year deal for PlayStation as well. https://t.co/m1IQxdeo6n

— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) December 7, 2022

Nintendo gaming systems haven't had a Call of Duty game in almost a decade. The last COD on the platform was Call of Duty Ghosts, which launched for the Wii U in 2013. Since then, Nintendo has always missed out on having one of the most successful video game series ever.

What's your take? Do you look forward to playing Call of Duty games on the Nintendo Switch? Let us know on our socials here or in the comments below.