'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Call of Duty has been a major topic of discussion ever since Microsoft announced their intentions to acquire Activision Blizzard in January.
There have been several hot takes since that announcement, and one of the most debated topics has been the future of Call of Duty titles.
Microsoft acquired Bethesda Softworks in 2021 and since then, the announced titles have all been planned as Xbox and PC-only experiences. Many have asked the same question - will Call of Duty also be given the same treatment?
Since the early news of the acquisition, a further report has stated how three upcoming titles of the military shooter series will be multi-platform. The titles include the rumored heavy hitters, Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare II.
However, this could be a result of the existing contracts of Activision, and because the acquisition won't be completed before 2023. But considering the current sales, it might make more sense for Xbox to keep all future titles as multi-platform.
Activision sales could be the biggest reason for Call of Duty to stay multi-platform
2021 has been a phenomenal year for Activision in terms of revenue. The company has logged a net income of $2.7 billion over its operations cost and had a total annual revenue of $8.8 billion. About $5.1 billion revenue has come from micro-transactions alone.
The total revenue from micro-transactions isn't only from COD titles, but all Activision titles. While there are no concrete numbers to mark a separation, Call of Duty remains extremely popular. This is despite the less than satisfactory sales of 2021's Vanguard.
Microsoft's biggest incentive to make the series exclusive will be to increase the sales of Xbox and the Game Pass. The title's addition to Game Pass will not be a differential since the games will be there even if the series stays multi-platform.
The main point of discussion will be the amount of extra sales that Microsoft will make through its consoles. It is prudent that no amount of console sales will cover the potential loss of revenue through micro-transactions.
If the trend of micro-transactions over the next two years shows an upward trend, it will make even more sense to keep Call of Duty games available to PlayStation fans. Of course, there's the question of whether Microsoft will allow its primary competition to host the game.
Phil Spencer has always been vocal about coming good on existing contracts and ensuring that gamers don't lose accessibility to their games. While the decision regarding Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield indicates the opposite, the case for Call of Duty will be different.
Games made by Bethesda are not live service games - the main modus operandi of live service games are micro-transactions. Sony has even declared that Destiny 2 will stay multi-platform and the probable reason will be along the same lines.
Revenue earned by Activision has been at a record high and is on the back of micro-transactions. While Xbox has a legitimate reason to make COD Xbox-exclusive, it's set to earn a lot more by keeping at least some of the live service-heavy titles like Warzone 2 multi-platform.
